The Cosmic War
by Napola
Summary: An alternate universe, intergalactic epic tale with an emphasis on these characters of SSBB: Ike, Zelda, Snake, Samus, Link, Capt Falcon, Ganondorf, Pit, Marth, Fox, Falco, Wolf, etc. A story of love, politics, and war. Multiple pairings included.
1. Chapter 1: The League of Cosmos

**Author's Note**

This is a multi-crossover plotline of many well-known and fan favorite video games, with a grouping of characters influenced by the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Series.

For the purposes of this fanfiction, some of the original stories of characters may be tweaked. For example, although the Chozo are an ancient exctinct race in the Metroid series, for a minor detail in this story they will have to exist. However, the nature of the characters, or their personalities, will obviously be kept as close to the originals as I can portray them.

This story will feature most human and human-like characters from the Smash Brothers Brawl Series. The characters included are: Fox, Zelda, Snake, Samus/Zero Suit, Link, Falco, Captain Falcon, Wolf, Ganondorf, Ike, possibly more. There will also be elements and characters from other very well-known games (not with a major role, only as supplement), and from the storylines of these characters, as plot elements. All chapters will go in chronological order, but organized from each of the characters perspective (except for this introduction). Some characters won't be immediately introduced; rather it will go by the sequence of the storyline.

Hope you enjoy!

These characters belong to their respective creators.

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**PART ONE**

**CHAPTER ONE: THE LEAGUE OF THE COSMOS**

The circle shaped structure stood higher than any other building in the city. Its surface was that of pure white, and at midday when it caught the sun's rays, the circle was almost too bright to look at. When it was overcast, clouds caught and passed through the structure and along the steel pipe that was its support. The building was known as The League of Cosmos. There was a strict policy that no vehicles could fly by the building, but observers landing on the planet or walking on the streets below could see the massive structure up in the sky, and stare at it with awe and reverence for the symbol of prosperity and power that it was.

In the center of circular structure was the conference room, where all representatives of the surrounding planetary systems came, unified into one Parliament, under the notion that such unification would support peace. Each system had one or two representatives. (Two generally comprised of opposite political parties). The Leader of the League, or the person who had gained the majority of the League's vote, directed the affairs of the Parliament, and seated his or her self in the center, on a raised platform that slowly rotated from a fixed point around the circular, dome-like room. All around in separate cubicles were the members of the Parliament, each planetary system on their own distinct platform.

Between the great conference room and the outer shell of the building was an ever ascending hallway. A long thin red carpet in the center of the hallway was the only non-white object in the building, other than the people, aliens, and creatures themselves. Along the way, doors leading to private rooms for the representatives lined the hallways.

Today, there was a great meeting with an important issue to discuss. The Chozo had been under attack recently by an ever-growing number of space pirates. Their leader, a bird-like creature with beady, red glowing eyes and a large beak, stood with a slumped posture on his platform. His movements seemed strained and difficult with his old-age, but he spoke with strength and intelligence that stemmed from years of untold wisdom.

"My fellow parliamentary members and the 46th Leader Sir Magnus, King of Fynn. I have called together a special session for your aid and assistance, in what I believe is an ever-increasing threat to the Chozon Prime System," he paused and looked around, making eye contact with many members.

"I ask for support from at least two members, and no more. I understand the importance of the upcoming 47th elections, and I know many of you are busy preparing for the important and time consuming task of running for such an esteemed position as the 47th Minister. I will gladly extend my support and ultimately my vote for those two who volunteer to aid us in determining and eradicating this threat. The issue of concern is that of space pirates. Activity has increased on an unprecendented level in many years, but it is my belief that it can be contained as swiftly as possible with your help," as he finished, his platform, which had previously been extended forward on a tracking system, moved backwards to its former location.

The great dome was filled with muffled speech and discourse amongst the League's members until one voice rose above all.

"The Lylat System will graciously offer our assistance to the Chozon Prime. Our fleet, lead by Mr. McCloud and myself will investigate this problem," spoke the other member of the Lylat System, Wolf O'Donnell, of what the Lylians called the Andross Party. Fox is the voice of the Cornerian Party. Wolf quickly glanced at Fox, who nodded in acceptance.

The 46th Leader gave his approval.

After a moment of more chatter, another voice, an unexpected one, spoke with a guttural tone, silencing all. "The Hylian System wishes to proceed as well into this investigation," Ganondorf, a member of the Twilight Party, said. This took the young man next to him, with the ruffled short golden hair and great blue eyes, aback. Not wanting to openly oppose Ganondorf in front of the assembly, he held his tongue.

This decision on behalf of Ganondorf roused many members to question and give looks of intrigue and disbelief to one another. The Hylian System was a rather archaic set of planets, with a small fleet of spaceships that never really kept up to date with the modern technology. Nevertheless, the Minister gave his approval.

Link sighed and crossed his arms as he rose to stand beside Ganondorf, as the Chozo leader began to speak.

"My gratitude for both the Hylians and Lylats. We will have a special discussion in the smaller hall."

As he finished, the usual round of applause, signaling the resolution of any particular issue, rang through the dome.

"It has been settled, this session is adjourned. All members, save the Lylats, Hylians, and Chozo, may return to their private quarters. Tomorrow, the assembly will discuss the issues regarding the representation in the Fire Realm," Magnus lowered his head as his platform raised to the ceiling where he would retire for the rest of the evening.

All the members exited from their designated stages.

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**The introduction isn't too action-packed, but I promise the rest of the story will be more suspenseful and tense!**


	2. Chapter 2: Link

**Author's Note**

Before I begin on with the story, I want to sort of give you an idea of what this alternate universe is like. There are several planetary systems, each denoting a specific game. For instance, Snake comes from the Solar System because he is from Earth. Samus comes from what I made up as the Chozon Prime System. Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf from the Hylian System (that includes Planet Hylia and Planet Twilight). Ike and Marth from the Fire Realm (system). Wolf, Fox, and Falco from the Lylat System. Capt. Falcon hails from no place in particular, but is found on the Port Town Aero Dive and other places such as Big Blue, where he races. Pit comes from the Angel Land System. The League of Cosmos is situated in the center of this all, on a planet that belongs to the Republic System, where everyone is united under one government.

The technology of this intergalactic fictional story is a combination of high and low tech, and fantasy and science fiction. For the sake of characters like Ike, Marth, Pit, Zelda, Ganondorf, Link, etc., they have the least technological of weapons, star fleets, etc., when compared to the worlds of Samus and Snake. However, you'll have to imagine them as sort of "upgraded", (plus they have magical powers). As an example, Link's shield and sword will have "deflector" properties, where he can protect himself from laser fire.

I hope this makes sense.

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**PART ONE**

**CHAPTER TWO: LINK**

"Ganondorf, you don't have the consent of Princess Zelda to use the Hylian fleet for this task that you alone have volunteered for," remarked Link, as he exited the platform and followed Ganondorf down the hall. He had been disconcerted by Ganondorf's unexpected and rash decision at the meeting.

"Listen, this investigation in the Chozon Prime will be a flash in the pan. What's more important is the upcoming elections and gaining as much support as we can. You think mere appearances at the assembly is enough? I fought tooth and nail for my position as representative on Planet Twilight, and I'm NOT going to spend my days here twiddling my thumbs. Unlike yourself, I've never had Midna on my side as you have had Zelda," Ganondorf shot back.

Together, the two walked back to their private quarters. Link took his place at the head of the one table in the center of the room; Ganondorf sat opposite. He studied Ganondorf's face, trying to understand his motives, hoping his body language would give away something. But his face proved nothing, as it usually had unless his wrath was provoked. Finally, Ganondorf, who had been studying a hologram of the Chozon Prime System in front of him on the table, got up and said to Link:

"It's time we go to the private hall and proceed with our plans in the Chozon Prime, with their leader and Wolf and Fox."

Link narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Ganondorf. "Right. I'll be there in a moment. I need to make a call."

With that, Ganondorf smoothed his cape and exited.

Link pushed some buttons that were built-in on the table and up arose a holographic screen. Once he had entered the proper frequency, Zelda, who had been seated at her throne in Hyrule Castle, appeared on it in front of him.

"Link?" she inquired, raising her brows. He paused and studied her face, noticing her deep blue eyes and golden long hair, with curls that hung in front of her pointed ears. She had been considered one of the most beautiful of women in the galaxy, though only few truly knew of it because she never left Hyrule. That was the extent of her devotion to her people.

He considered how he would say this:

"Zelda, I have some …bad news. Ganondorf has, without your consent, granted the Chozo the Hylian Fleet to aid them in investigating a surge of space pirate activity in the Chozon Prime." He paused, drawing his breath. "I haven't stopped him. I wanted your opinion."

She cocked her head and leaned her body to the side, resting her hand beneath her head.

"How do you feel? It seems rather absurd that of all people, Ganondorf is extending his charity. And of all armies set up for the task, that our small one is suitable. Did the 46th Minister give his approval?"

"Yes," Link said, "But I think it was a rather haste decision because of the upcoming elections and the present war in the Fire Realm."

"I agree. Link, I trust your ability to get to the root of this sudden judgment on behalf of Ganondorf. You need to make sure he doesn't step out of line."

"So you condone his decision? Shall I stop him or not?" Link asked.

"No. The Chozo are a respected and intelligent people. I believe we can all benefit from this service. Perhaps the Chozo will return the favor by helping our defenses. They _are_ the most technologically advanced race in the galaxy," she replied.

Link looked down toward the table. He didn't agree with Zelda on this one, but she was the Princess, and he was just a Parliamentary member who had to take his orders as a representative. "I just wish Midna was here beside me instead of Ganondorf. I wouldn't have to deal with this," he thought. Midna _had_ been the representative of Planet Twilight until Ganondorf had defeated her a year ago in the representative elections. Through a slander and smear campaign, Ganondorf had secured his place, and Midna's career was destroyed. Rumors flew that she left Twilight to Hyrule, in secrecy, hoping to lay low for the time.

"Alright Your Highness," Link finally said, "I have a meeting to attend. I am closing this line."

"Link?" she said hastily.

He paused.

"Although I am okaying Ganondorf's decision, I know something isn't right. Please be careful," she said.

Link nodded and closed the line. He shut down the hologram and got up from his seat, and proceeded down to the private hall.

As he entered the room, he noticed the Chozo leader getting up from his seat. Confused, Link glanced to Ganondorf, Fox, and Wolf, looking for an answer.

"Ah, Link," the Chozo leader said, "we have just finished our plans. I am sorry that you have come too late. Ganondorf should fill you in on the details. Everyone, thank you for your generosity. On behalf of my people, I extend my deepest of gratitude. Now, I must return to my homeland. Good luck." With that, he slowly walked out of the room as Ganondorf, Fox, and Wolf stood from their seats. Once he was gone, Wolf and Fox left, followed by Ganondorf.

"What's the plan?" Link asked Ganondorf, following him down the hallway.

"You are to command the Hylian Fleet to the Chozon Prime."

"What?? You're still making decisions for other people? Zelda isn't going to approve of this! I have my place here!" Link exclaimed.

"So you mean to tell me, that although I practically gave you a nomination to be the 47th Leader of the League of Cosmos, straight from the Chozo Leader, you're still going to whine and complain? Just why _are_ you a representative here?" Ganondorf snarled.

Ganondorf was sorta right. Link had become a representative at Zelda's request. He had saved Hyrule several times from ruin, but that was what he was good at. Not politics.

"Besides," Ganondorf continued, seemingly reading Links thoughts, "You are considered by most Hylians to be the "Hero of Time." Saving people is what you're good at right? Well, the Chozo are in need of a "hero's" assistance," he sarcastically remarked. "I will take care of Zelda. Don't worry, she'll approve of this decision."

Ganondorf then stopped at the Lylat's private quarter, where Wolf was waiting in the doorway. "I have something to attend to," he said, and him and Wolf exited the hallway and shut the door.

Fox McCloud was standing near the edge of the hallway, against a wall, fixing something on his wristband communicator. He looked up at Link and said, "Hey, I'll fill you in on the details." And the two of them continued up the hall.

After Fox had told Link of their plans, they parted ways, and Link returned to the Hylian chamber. "How am I going to make sure Ganondorf doesn't step out of line? He seems to always be one step ahead of me, and nobody else sees a problem with this," Link pondered. He sat in silence for a while. He hated feeling out of control of things, and politics was all about that. He began to reflect on the days when he and Midna would retire back here after a boring and long meeting at the assembly. They would joke around, eat lunch, or dinner if things got particularly late, and they never really disagreed on any issue. All the reminiscing reminded him of how much he hated Ganondorf. Their constant arguments and awkward silences between Parliament sessions drained him. Sighing he stood up: "Maybe I can get a private meeting with the Minister. Perhaps I can make a case to him."

Once he secured a meeting with the 46th leader, Sir Magnus of Fynn, Link walked in. The usual round of formal introductions commenced, then Link got straight to the point: "Sir, I have a problem with sending the Hylian Fleet to the Chozon Prime. Our army is too small, it is possible that some space pirates could easily destroy us. We are not a technologically advanced people and have never sought after such modernization! I am concerned, simply, for the well-being of our defenses and our military..." Link began to feel like the Minister wasn't listening. It was true that Sir Magnus was old, maybe slow, but he was patient. Something seemed...different.

After a moment of silence, Sir Magnus said, "The Lylats are an advanced people. They can support you in this investigation. I can assure you that."

"I don't disagree with you but-" Link was cut off by Magnus, "But that is all I can say about the issue. The elections are coming up. This is a very busy time for me. You must understand that I cannot possibly hope to continue as the Leader of the League without resolving the issues of The Prince of Altea's war with the Beast, Hawk, Raven Laguz Allaince. Without their representation, I lose support. However, I can assure you that Planet Hylia's defenses and military will be looked after as soon as the Fire Realm war is resolved. That is all."

Link's mouth almost dropped. He couldn't believe that the Minister was more concerned over his political career than the well-being of Hylia. Of course, Link also didn't like politics, so it was natural of him to be shocked. He promptly exited the room without saying any formal goodbyes, after getting worked up over what had just played out. Just as he was walking down the hallway, Fox intercepted him.

"Link, it is time we move out. Wolf has left already and we mustn't be too far behind. The Chozo Leader wanted a special meeting to be held once we arrive."

"Alright then...fine. I'll gather the Hylian Fleet and then catch up with you," Link said impatiently.

After Link had boarded his private starship to go back to Hylia to gather the fleet, he recieved a strange message from an unknown, hooded figure on his COM (communication) screen. As the person spoke, periods of static interference broke through. "Mistake... ...Trap... ...the beast with two faces... ..."

"What the...?" Link said aloud to himself. The prophetic-like message startled him, especially considering the recent events. He tried to brush it off, but his thoughts kept focusing on that mysterious message, even as he arrived in the Chozon Prime with his fleet.

**Up next ... Chapter Three: The Bounty Hunter Samus**


	3. Chapter 3: Samus

**PART ONE**

**CHAPTER THREE: THE BOUNTY HUNTER SAMUS**

"I'm so glad you all made a swift and safe arrival here on Planet Zebes," The Chozo leader said. A tall, slender blonde woman, with long hair tied up, thick bangs that hid her forehead, in a skin-tight blue one-piece suit with curves that were the envy of many a man's, and perhaps woman's desires, stood slightly behind the Chozo creature, eyeing every person in the room.

She first noticed Wolf, with his gray hair, narrow and callous eyes, and the untrimmed, but very sharp, needle-like claws on his fingers. She could tell just on appearance alone that he would be a personality to be reckoned with. Not something she looked forward to, but definitely not something she couldn't handle.

Next to him was Fox McCloud. A seemingly friendlier variant when compared to Wolf. He had beige and white hair, a wily grin, (though that was just the nature of Foxes, there was nothing devious or scheming about him), and emerald green eyes. He only showed the slightest of attitude whenever Wolf chimed in, which was expected.

One chair away from Fox was Link, the Hylian delegate. She paused on this one. He had his arms crossed with one hand on his chin, looking down, as if in deep thought. She noticed his strangely pointed ears and great blue eyes. As the galaxies greatest and most respected bounty hunter, she knew from experience that it was unusual for a Hylian to be so far from home, but here he was, the first she'd ever seen. She appreciated their offer to partake in this, but what they could contribute, she had had her doubts about.

"This here, to my right, is the legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran, as I am sure you all know," the Chozo leader spoke once again. "She is our unofficial commander and advisor…my right hand so to speak. She will explain the problems we are having and our strategy in eliminating it."

As she was about to speak, she noticed Wolf smirking at the notion of a woman, let alone a bounty hunter, coming up with a strategy. Fox only nodded, while Link momentarily looked up, and then hung his head again. He did, however, do a double-take upon realizing who she actually was. Samus smiled at him as he appeared to gawk at her. He averted his gaze out of embarrassment.

After pressing two buttons at the table, a hologram appeared in the center. "This is Tallon IV, the former place of residence of the Chozo, until five years ago, a meteor impacted the planet, and nearly wiped out all of life. This destruction was not the cause of the force of the meteor or debris, but by the element that was contained on the meteor. Phazon, as you might have heard years ago. It is a cancerous, mutagenic chemical that was brought to Tallon IV by sheer coincidence. Its origins are unknown, besides coming from the meteor, but the power reserved within it is deadly," Samus explained. "The Chozo had tried to stop the Phazon's destruction, but eradicating a biological threat isn't always possible and even their efforts failed. Now, it remains hidden under a great temple established by the Chozo. Two years ago I was brought in to quell an intrusion by space pirates at this temple," she said, with her face lit up by the hologram as it zoomed in on the planet. "Upon investigation, I had discovered that the place had already been torn from beneath, and the Phazon was being mined. Kraid, the infamous space pirate, was behind it. He established a laboratory at the Phendrana Drifts, a sub-zero planet, where it was possible to contain and experiment with the Phazon. What I found there was an incredible amount of specimens…human, alien, you name it, that was under experimentation. The…creatures that the Phazon turned the humans and aliens into were…unimaginable, deadly," her faced appeared to darken and seemed strained. "It took me a year to finally end the experiments, kill Kraid, and destroy the results of his research-"

"Sooo..." Wolf impatiently cut her off, "Just where do _we_ come in??"

"I fear we might be under the beginnings of the same situation. The temple has recently been attacked by space pirates. So much so, that even the newly placed Chozo security efforts are failing. We still do not know who is behind all of this and to what purpose. "Freelancing" space pirates run rampant, but there are rumors of the SPC, also known as the Space Pirate Confederation…" Samus replied.

"SPC?!" exclaimed Fox. "Ridley's minions? The Space Pirate Confederation was thought to be in ruins, possibly dead, after the Earth Fleet destroyed the Flood."

It was true. After the Flood was destroyed, the alliance between them and the SPC was shattered. The SPC couldn't exist in the galaxy after such a defeat, as they were hounded out every time they were discovered. It became such a nuisance that they couldn't buy or loot fuel and supplies, with many pirates deserting or even dying. It had been thought that Ridley left this galaxy for another, but traveling that far, under such dire conditions was like walking in fire without protective gear.

And if it truly was Ridley behind it all, it could mean that his Confederation was back in power, which could mean that the Flood...was back. This thought hurt Samus's mind. A terrible and consuming power was the Flood. They were the most feared of all lifeforms in the galaxy. As parasites, they would kill the host and overtake their bodies, mulitplying in numbers and ultimately gaining strength by this. Their terrible forms striked fear in their enemies. They resembled a cross between a corpse and a fungul-like specimen. But they were supposedly wiped out, the Gravemind, or their leader as it was known, had been killed...

"It's unlikely to be Ridley himself, perhaps just former Confederation Pirates. Anyway, our mission is to patrol the temple and kill all space pirates. Wolf and Fox, I'll leave that to you and your fleets to eliminate the pirates. You have permission to destroy all space pirates within the proximity of the temple. Link, you and your Hylian fleet will accompany me on reconnaissance." As she said this, she noticed that he jumped, as if awakened from sleep. He nodded.

"Great!" Wolf said sarcastically, yawning. "Permission to leave…?" he inquired defiantly. Samus narrowed her eyes and waited to reply. She could tell he wasn't the waiting type, and liked to put him in his place this way. Unfortunately, before she could draw out the pause, Fox spoke up and said that they should get going immediately.

"Right. You stay here, Link. I'll tell you our specific plan" Samus said.

As Fox and Wolf left, Samus turned to Link. Once again, she could feel him gaping at her. It was obvious why and she knew it. For one, her zero suit didn't exactly hide anything about her figure, which she even knew seemed like an exaggeration of every teenage boy's dreams. She never really used this to her advantage, partially because she didn't have to. Her power suit, coupled with her training of the deadly martial arts, was enough of an advantage.

She crossed her arms.

"I know the Hylians are not well equipped for this investigation. This is why the fleet will be used only for scouting. Not many space pirates know what a Hylian starship is, and we can use that to our advantage. Here is my frequency." She gave Link the number. "We'll keep in touch through this personal line. You and the Hylians will stay outside of Tallon IV, tracking any ship that should find itself within the orbit of the planet. I'll be scouting on land. Good luck." She finished, nodding her head.

"Okay…" he replied unsatisfactory-like, slowly turning around.

"Something the matter?" Samus asked, placing one hand on her hip and resting the other against her side.

"I…" Link paused, "…just received a strange message while en route. I don't know if it's a joke, a crossover of frequencies, or really meant for me, but it seemed to be a threat. Something about a trap and making a mistake. I just feel …uneasy," Link sighed.

Samus looked Link in the eyes intensely, and slightly lowered her voice, "If you ever receive another, or think something unusual is going on, just contact me. Listen Link, I feel something worse than it appears to be on the surface is happening. From my experience as a bounty hunter, you have to learn this instinct, this gut feeling. Don't be afraid to pass on any information…you know…if you think…" she fished for his reply.

"Someone's betraying me…?" he quickly responded.

"….well…yes…if that's what you believe Link. Remember my frequency. Just keep in touch." She told him as she walked back to turn the hologram off.

He stood there for a moment, and she watched him as he left the room.

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_The Next Day_

It had been several hours while patrolling Tallon IV on foot. She hadn't discovered anything as she explored a new territory that she thought pirates might be stationing at. Exhausted from sneaking and running around for what seemed like a fruitless mission, she returned to her ship. Giving her arms a stretch upwards in the air, she walked into the cockpit, and sat down in her chair, sinking into it, extending her legs outward. But before she could put the alarm system on and sneak in a quick nap, her COM (communication line) was beeping. Frowning, she leaned forward and hit the answer button.

"Speak," Samus said.

"Samus, its Link," a young man's voice said.

She snapped to attention upon hearing him, straightening herself in her seat, and leaning closer in on the COM screen. Once it uploaded, Link's face appeared. He was frowning, with a concerned look on his face. The same one she had noticed during the meeting on Planet Zebes.

"What is it Link?" she asked.

"There was another message…this one promised answers. But I have to meet this strange person whose been sending them." He replied.

"Where?"

"On Tallon IV, 36.8 miles north of the Temple, on what it described would be an arid, flat, desert plain." He then told her the exact coordinates.

Samus paused.

"What do you think it meant by answers?" she finally asked.

"I think it means answers to the former message they sent. Probably something about what the trap or mistake is, I assume." Link replied.

"Perhaps this might be a break in why the Phazon temple is being under attack lately by pirates…But, I really don't know..." She told him. She wondered… if it had something to do with the space pirates, why would Link of all people, be receiving cryptic messages? With so little intelligence on who is directing these attacks on the temple on Tallon IV, Samus had very little idea of what to do about the situation with Link. Just staring at his face, especially his wide, blue eyes, she could sense his naiveté on these matters. And it seemed like this whole time Link really did not want anything to do with this investigation.

"I want to meet with this person. I want their answer, even if they are deceiving me. Something, whether good or bad _will_ come of this. Samus…I don't know why, but I feel like you're one of the few people with whom I can trust…do I have any doubt in believing this?" he asked.

"No…no…of course not. I'm behind you 100 percent. If you want to investigate this issue further by meeting with this person, I'll support that decision. I grant you permission to momentarily leave your post on patrol." Samus had also felt like there was an unspoken trust between her and Link, for reasons she did not fully understand. Perhaps it was that gut feeling she had acquired as a bounty hunter. Or maybe it was the fact that he was a Hylian. They never were really seen anywhere outside of the galaxy, so she figured that they weren't as jaded or as well versed in deception for that reason.

However, when it really came down to it, Samus had a strange feeling within her, one that she had not known, had tried not to know, for so long.

"The pain…" she thought, remembering and beginning to feel it again. She turned her face down, clenching her right hand into a fist, digging it into her thigh.

It was the memory of being orphaned. Of space pirates wiping out her family, her friends, her city, her world. Chaos…screaming…blood…helplessness. She was too young (only 4 years old) to remember it fully, but for some reason, she had this image of blood pooling at her side, with sounds of moaning accompanying it. And then, as the vision so often went, she turned her line of sight to that blood that collected near her infant legs and feet, and there was a hand, reaching out, desperately attempting to touch her. She couldn't remember whose it was…Her mother's hand? Her father's? A brother or a sister? Perhaps the most painful part was that she couldn't remember whose it was. All she could remember was the blood, and the moaning, and the hand. Not her family. Not what seemed important. Ever since she could see that vision, she wouldn't allow herself to get close to anyone, because when she did, she felt the pain.

And when she looked at Link, as she did more often due to the circumstances of the investigation, the more she felt the pain.

"Samus?" Link inquired. "Is something wrong? You haven't closed this line."

It had seemed, after she had granted Link permission for leaving his post, that she should have signaled the end of the conversation and closed the line. However, she had become distracted.

So there was Link, looking at her with a confused, but still concerned look.

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I got lost on a thought. I'll be closing this line." And the sooner, the better she felt. "You fool…" she thought to herself.

"Alright. I'll report straight to you after I meet this stranger. Over and out." Link finished.

Samus turned the chair around to face the cockpit door once she closed the line. She rubbed her eyes and felt embarrassed for what had just happened. She thought about that nap again, and how it might help her shake off this feeling. She set the alarm system, and moved to the back of the ship to the sleeping quarters.

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**This is still a rather slow start for the story, but all points/events are necessary for what it's leading to. You may also be wondering when the other characters that I mentioned in the summary will be showing up in the story. Well, don't worry. I've got a storyline to unfold, and with it will all the characters make their appearances. Up next will be another Link chapter, but following that will be Zelda, and more new characters after her. **

**Please review! : )**


	4. Chapter 4: Link

**PART ONE**

**CHAPTER FOUR: LINK**

The wind howled furiously all around him. Earlier, he had put on a heavy duty brown wool poncho that wrapped over his head, covering his mouth, around his neck, and draping all over his body, hanging heavy. It moved slightly in the wind. He looked behind himself for what might have been the tenth time. Link had been waiting at the specified destination on Tallon IV, an area designated by the mysterious figure that contacted him twice over his COM line. His stomach was in knots; a mixture of nervousness and excitement was felt in his gut. He was ready to find out just what was going on.

"It's been about 20 minutes..." he thought, growing ever more impatient.

Looking around again to pass the time, all he could see was miles and miles of parched landscape. Dirt, pieces of rock here and there, and dead, straw-like grass rustled in the wind currents. "This is definitely a place were no life can survive on," he thought, remembering the story Samus had told him about the destruction of life the meteor, carrying the deadly Phazon, had caused when it crashed on this planet.

Link was pondering whether or not he should leave: "What is the hold up? I got here on time…" The sun was about to set, the exact time he was told to be there. And when it was beyond the horizon, as the mysterious figure had told him, it would be too late for the meeting.

Every one and thing seemed to be testing Link's patience lately. First, it was Ganondorf becoming a delegate for the Hylian system. Then, it was Ganondorf's decision to join this investigation… of which he had also forced Link to see it through. Now, a peculiar person was sending him anonymous messages, all alluding to a possible threat, or what Link began to think of now as a big joke. Getting ready to leave, he turned himself around, and prepared for a long trek back to his personal spacecraft.

"Turn around…" a muffled voice said from behind Link.

Looking back, he saw a figure clad in a black cloak with a hood hiding his or her head.

"You're the one whose been sending me those static messages…aren't you?" Link asked.

The dark figure walked closer to him, taking each step slowly. Its feet looked like that of an insect. Two long, pointed toes with a small claw on each heel. Link inched backwards initially, but then stood his ground. His hand reached to the knot on his poncho that held it together, preparing himself to take it off so he could reach for his sword that was sheathed on his back...just in case.

"Proof…I have the necessary evidence…" A hand reached out from behind the black robe and in it held a small, portable white disc. Link noticed how the hands resembled the same insect-like features of the feet. He got a feeling within him, one of familiarity, as if he had seen such creatures before.

Another hand reached out from behind the dark sheet and pressed a button on the disc. A hologram appeared above the disc.

Link stepped forward. "Ganondorf?!" he said aloud. As the hologram played out, Ganondorf was seen handing Twilian currency over to a space pirate, one that had the same insect features of the cloaked figure in front of him. There were gestures and a serious discussion that seemed to play out, but Link couldn't quite hear it through the wind. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the insect _was_ familiar, and he had seen them before. It was none other than a space pirate of _the_ Space Pirate Confederation!

"Ridley's minions…? Ganondorf has been plotting with them…? Or him, if Ridley is even alive…" Link thought to himself.

Once the hologram finished, the hands reached back behind the robe. Link hesitated, wondering what would happen next. "Is Ganondorf truly behind this all? Why would he have voluntarily brought Hylia into this investigation, if he was behind it??"

All these questions began to flood Link's mind, momentarily distracting him. He had neglected to think of the fact that the person in front of him was likely a Confederation Pirate.

In a quick movement, the figure pulled off the cloak, revealing itself to Link.

"Shit!" stammered Link, who reciprocated the action by pulling off his poncho, reaching for his sword on his back, pulling it over himself, and steadying it between him and the insect.

"You're a Confederation Pirate! Why did you show me that??" he authoritatively yelled out.

"Mistake…trap…the beast with two faces…" The voice of the insect in the message that it had sent to Link earlier played out in Link's mind.

"This is a set up! A _trap_! Did Ganondorf send you to do this?!" Link slowly moved forward, at an angle, toward the alien. He pointed the sword more forward, in his sudden fury.

"Put down the weapon. I am unarmed," the pirate motioned his arms in the air.

"Answer me, and then I'll sheath my sword!" Link retorted.

"I will give you this evidence for you to show to the entire galaxy…but-"

"But what?!" Link cut him off.

"You must pull yourself and your Hylian Fleet out of the Chozon Prime. Immediately."

Link lowered his sword slightly. He had to consider the offer given to him. If he did take the evidence, he could get Ganondorf arrested, and when the knowledge of the Confederation Pirates on Tallon IV is presented to the League, all would take action to eliminate them. At least that's what has been done in the past. The Space Pirate Confederation and its history with the Flood made it too dangerous to exist in this galaxy.

However, Link considered the notion that he could be under a trap, possibly one posed by Ganondorf. Who knew what would happen if the Hylians left. Link knew Samus would be upset…perhaps even Fox and Wolf. But that didn't seem important enough to even consider, given the opportunity to imprison Ganondorf.

The weight of this evidence seemed heavier than the importance of the Hylian Fleet's presence in the Chozon Prime.

Finally, Link put his sword down to his side. He gave another thought, narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"Fine. Hand me the hologram disc, and I'll pull the Hylians out of here," Link said as he put his sword back in its place.

"A wise decision," the space pirate said as he set the disc to the ground and stepped backwards.

Link slowly moved toward the disc and picked it up. As the landscape grew darker, and the sun was nearly set, the insect re-cloaked itself, and continued moving backwards. Link watched it, wondering what it was going to do. The now dark figure seemed to twitch oddly. Link moved forward slightly to get a closer look of what it was doing.

It appeared as if lines of static moved on the pirate. As they increased, the figure vanished, right before Link.

"A hologram?!" Link felt more uneasy now. "It looked incredibly real…how could it have tricked me?" Link remembered that, even though he was a delegate in the League of Cosmos, he was rather behind in his knowledge of the technology of the galaxy. He was, after all, from Hylia.

"Hmm…" he grunted aloud, wondering if the fact that the pirate wasn't actually there meant something. It was getting increasingly darker in the area so he resolved to just walk back to his spacecraft and give orders for the immediate departure to the League of Cosmos.

While taking off from Tallon IV, he contacted Samus on his COM.

"Link?! Did you meet with that person?" Samus immediately said to him once the line connected.

"Yes…I did. And I've got some good news. And some bad," he replied.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've received evidence that Ganondorf is funding space pirate activity on Tallon IV. I have the holographic proof here with me, but it came with a price…" he said, studying her face on the screen for a reaction.

"What price?" she questioned, frowning.

"The Hylian Fleet, me included, must remove ourselves from the Chozon Prime System. I'm sorry…but I can no longer help you in this investigation."

There was a moment of silence between the two, as Samus thought about what Link had just said. And then she spoke:

"That's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but since you have found out some information that gives us a good lead…then it's fine," she explained to him.

"But there's one more thing that worries me. One thing that makes me regret having to leave this investigation…." He told her.

Samus's frowning eyebrows moved upward, in an inquisitive and worried look. It was a look Link hadn't seen from her, and it made him more nervous to break the news.

"The one who had been sending me those messages, the person that had given me this evidence, was a space pirate. Specifically of the Space Pirate Confederation."

"So the rumors were true," Samus said. "Hmm…in retrospect Link, you really put yourself in danger. Had anyone seen you with this pirate, making a deal with them, well, you know the consequences."

He had known which was why he drew his sword, ready to kill the pirate. The consequence of dealing with a Space Confederation Pirate was life in prison. A seemingly eternal existence in a 5 foot by 5 foot cell with no contact with the outside world whatsoever. A bleak way to live out the rest of your life, Link thought.

"There was really nothing I could do. I didn't know going into this secret meeting just who I was dealing with."

"I know…" Samus paused. "You're going to bring this evidence to the League, right? That means I might not see you again…I just wanted to…" Link could tell Samus was having difficulty in finishing her sentence.

"To what?" Link asked.

"I was thinking that…well…never mind. You've got to present this evidence as soon as you can. Perhaps I'll see you around. Good luck." Samus abruptly closed the line, leaving Link to wonder what she was going to say. He was considering calling her back. He really wanted to know what she would've said. For some reason, he felt like he had to know. But before he could, he contacted and told his fleet to prepare to exit the Chozon Prime and escort him to the League.

As he and his fleet were exiting the Chozon Prime, Link's mind kept wandering back to the conversation he and Samus had. He was about to call her back when Wolf appeared on his COM screen.

"Where do you think you and the Hylian Fleet are going?" he growled.

"The Fleet and I are headed to the League. Let's hope whatever you and Ganondorf discussed behind closed doors had nothing to do with what I've discovered," Link answered, remembering how Wolf and Ganondorf held a private meeting before coming here. Link had a feeling Wolf had something to do with this. After all, Wolf had also volunteered for this investigation, and that seemed far from his character to do so.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wolf melodramatically remarked, with his ears back and a mockingly innocent face. "Ganondorf was simply asking me for advice on the upcoming 47th elections. Most likely has nothing to do with whatever you 'discovered.' " Wolf's canines were bared.

He was both brazen and very aggressive. A combination of personality traits that Link was all too aware of.

"Looks like your advice went to waste, unfortunately," Link said.

"The League will not approve of you leaving the Chozon Prime…you know that." Wolf shot back.

"I can't help but wonder why you are so concerned Wolf….guilty of something?" Link replied.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha…" he maniacally laughed, in such a way that Wolf was known for. "Kitties got claws! Hope you show that same wit and sharpness as you try to explain to the 46th Leader why you left your post without permission," Wolf said, putting on his serious face.

"I've received permission from Samus. You won't need to worry about that."

"Right…Samus…" Wolf said, looking upward, ponderously. "You mean the _unofficial_ commander of this mission? So long as the Chozo Leader doesn't know of your desertion, you'll be up to your neck in troubled waters," Wolf threatened, closing the line.

"Asshole…" thought Link. "When can I find the evidence to can him?" he chuckled to himself.

Link and his fleet were almost at the League when he realized that he should contact Zelda about the whole situation. After punching in the correct frequency, Zelda's face appeared on the screen.

"Link," she said calmly, looking pleased to see him again.

Link was happy to see her face. It reminded him that soon this whole situation would be over with, and he could return to Hylia and not have to deal with Ganondorf ever again.

"I have proof, Zelda. I have proof to what we had assumed early on."

"About Ganondorf? What's happened Link?"

"Yes, it's about Ganondorf. He's been funding the space pirate activity here in the Chozon Prime. I have holographic proof," Link explained.

Zelda looked confused. "You mean to say, that even though Ganondorf had volunteered you and the Hylian Fleet to investigate into this matter…that he is partially, maybe fully behind it? I cannot believe that he would trap himself like that Link. I still don't feel right about all of this."

Link thought about what she said. In fact, he had realized this even before Zelda formally announced it. However, he was so focused on getting rid of Ganondorf that his mind was mainly on one track. Plus, the evidence he had was so damning, that it seemed there was no way Ganondorf could weasel his way out of this one.

"Zelda, so long as I have this evidence, there's nothing Ganondorf can do. Even if he is just setting up a trap for me to fall into, it seems unlikely that he will be able to do anything now. Perhaps something was meant to happen and it didn't work out. Which reminds me; I better hurry myself up and get to the League. I'm going to close this line, Zelda. I'll report back to you immediately once Ganondorf is secured in his prison cell. I'll talk to you later," he finished, closing the line. It had seemed like Zelda wanted to say something more right before he closed it, but Link had an important mission to finalize.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Once Link arrived at the League, he quickly brought himself to Sir Magnus's personal chamber at the top of the dome, to announce that he would invoke an emergency Class 1 meeting for the assembly. Magnus seemed startled at such a proposal. Class 1 meetings required every delegate to be present regardless of whether they were halfway across the galaxy. Distant representatives could simply tune in on a certain frequency and be present at the meeting through their COM system.

As Magnus told Link that he would permit such a meeting, he reminded and warned Link that to abuse such emergency meetings would result in severe punishment, and that whatever was the subject of this emergency, it better be important enough. Link assured Magnus of its importance, and exited the room. He descended down the main hall to the Hylian quarters, where he would wait before the meeting would be announced by Magnus. Upon entering his private room, he noticed Ganondorf was in there, sitting in his usual spot at the main table.

There was an awkward silence between the two as Link sat down in his chair that was directly opposite of Ganondorf. Link's gaze fixated itself on Ganondorf, who returned the same stare.

A long and increasingly higher level of awkward silence played out. The tension was so heavy; Link felt that he could cut it with his sword. Finally, Ganondorf spoke:

"So you've returned. Any reason as to why you have abandoned your post in the Chozon Prime? Other than your own incompetence…" Ganondorf said, putting his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his interlocked hands.

Link sat back, narrowing his eyes and giving a half smile.

Ganondorf spoke again "The assembly, especially Magnus, won't approve of this. He's too busy with the upcoming elections. He won't tolerate pansies, such as you, returning from an important mission with their tails between their legs."

Link almost laughed aloud at this. "Your escalating aggression only gives yourself away, Ganondorf."

Ganondorf's left eyebrow raised at Link's remark. He hid a smile behind his hands.

"Class 1 emergency meeting. All delegates report to designated platforms at the great hall or switch to frequency number 163. 87. All must report immediately," Magnus's voice rang on the intercom.

Link watched for Ganondorf's reaction. Instead, the 7 foot tall representative of the Twilight Planet just sat there. Link didn't want to wait any longer. As he got up and quickly headed for the door, Ganondorf stood up immediately, abruptly blocking Link's path, and knocking the Hylian delegate down.

"Watch it, Ganondorf," Link snarled. As he looked up at Ganondorf, he noticed an expressionless face. Just two, yellow eyes staring down at him, void of emotion.

He pondered as to what Ganondorf was thinking, if he knew that this would be his last meeting at the League.

Contrary to what Link was expecting, Ganondorf reached his hand out and pulled him to his feet. After that, he promptly left the room. Link stood there for a moment, somewhat shocked. He shook off the feeling and proceeded to the meeting.

Standing at his platform, Link waited as Magnus summoned him to anchor the stage forward, and to explain to the entire hall, the reason for this Class 1 meeting.

Link tracked the platform forward. Ganondorf sat at one of the two sectionals that were about 8 feet away from Link on the Hylian stage.

"I have requested a Class 1 meeting here at the League to bring startling news from my investigations at the Chozon Prime System. I have here with me, holographic evidence that could unravel what I have begun to feel could be a more sinister and treacherous plot by a certain delegate in this assembly."

The great dome rang with chatter. As Link waited for it to calm down, he noticed Wolf was seated at his appropriate platform, across the hall, a few levels down. They locked eyes for a moment.

"I have received solid, tangible proof, that just a few feet away from me, my co-delegate of Hylia, Ganondorf, has provided funds for the space pirate activity in the Chozon Prime. Specifically, with the pirates of the Space Pirate Confederation"

The chatter became much louder now. From the sound of it, it would seem like chaos had broke out in the dome. Fear of the SPC was the main reason to the disturbing and intrusive yelling and talking between the delegates. Link turned his head slightly to the right. In his peripheral vision, he could see Ganondorf standing now, with his arms crossed.

"Quiet!" shouted Magnus. "There will be silence!"

It took awhile, but the hall eventually settled down. Magnus finally spoke again, "You say you have evidence, Link. I would like to see this proof before I make a decision on how to proceed."

"Of course," Link replied. He reached his hand down to the pocket where he kept the white disc. Pushing his hand into it, he felt nothing but the fabric of his tunic. Thinking he picked the wrong pocket, he dove his other hand into the other pocket. Nothing again. His hands began to tremble as he double-checked each pocket. Sweat began to trickle down his forehead, and he could hear whispering amongst the other representatives. Now, obviously shaking, his clammy hands were crawling through every possible spot on his uniform where he could have put it. His pulse was pounding so hard, he could hear it.

Then, as his mind began to race, it jumped to that moment before he came to this meeting. The moment when Ganondorf had knocked him down, and then when Ganondorf had helped him up.

"You!" Link said angrily, twisting his body around to face Ganondorf. The Twilian man just stared back, with those same, empty yellow eyes. Link was trying to collect himself, so he could speak again and explain the situation to Sir Magnus. However, before he could, Wolf, the representative of the Lylat System, cut him off.

"Excuse me, if I may, 46th leader of the League of Cosmos, Sir Magnus, King of Fynn. It appears that these allegations laid out by this Hylian delegate are unfounded and erroneous. In fact, from my investigation while patrolling on Tallon IV for space pirates, I discovered some evidence myself, that I _actually_ have here with me, which would suggest a conspiracy between the Space Pirate Confederation, and representative Link."

The great dome rang again with loud chatter. Link stepped as far forward as he could on his platform, staring down at Wolf. "What now?!" he thought. His chest was pounding so hard and his mind seemed to be an inferno of thoughts, with each flicker of the fire, or thought, flaming upwards and going out. Random moments popped into his brain: "What was it that Samus had wanted to say? Was Zelda going to tell me something important before I untimely cut her off?" Then the words of that space pirate echoed in his head again, "Mistake…trap…the beast with two faces…" Could the two-faced beast have been Wolf and Ganondorf? His blood pressure was beginning to drop dramatically, his face turning white. He kept going in and out of tunnel vision.

"This whole thing…this _whole_ thing…it was all a trap…a _mistake_. It was a set up from the start…Wolf had been watching my meeting with that space pirate all along…." Link said to himself, as he watched in horror, the meeting between him and the Confederation Pirate on Tallon IV, playing out before the entire assembly. The hologram was blown up to large proportions in the middle of the chamber, as it unfolded.

"A secret deal made between this Hylian and the pirate. Look at Link as he makes an agreement to pull the Hylian Fleet out of the investigations in the Chozon Prime…possibly endangering the mission and fellow operatives...and to what purpose? Just to recieve false evidence that he cannot even _present_ to the assembly, just to try and damn his co-delegate. Possibly to help himself secure a spot as the 47th leader," Wolf explained to everyone.

Such a statement about the upcoming elections would certainly appeal to King Magnus, who, as Link experienced previously, was more concerned about his political career than the safety of the Hylian Fleet.

Link looked up at Magnus, wondering what his fate would be, as the Leader would have to take the appropriate actions, and quickly. Magnus wouldn't want to seem weak in front of the entire League. Especially when all the representatives are riled up about the news of the Space Pirate Confederation…Those three words basically meant "The Flood" to all who knew of their alliance.

Magnus appeared to be punching in a few buttons at his podium on his platform. Link, feeling weak in his knees, nearly passing out, dropped to the floor on his stage, looking back to Ganondorf. He watched as Ganondorf stepped aside slowly. Two guards moved in from behind. They walked right up to Link and lifted him to his feet. His head hung heavy, his bangs hanging in his eyes. They proceeded to escort him off the stage.

"Representative Link will be held in our criminal quarters for the time being. I want an investigation into these allegations. Though you have brought stunning evidence, Wolf, I will need more before we put the Hylian on trial," Magnus explained.

Link looked back at him whilst he spoke those words. Magnus did not meet his eyes. Instead, they were darting to and fro, looking for approval in the assembly. Finally, the guards reached the edge of the platform, and Link was about to exit the dome. With one more, last quick glance, he saw Ganondorf looking back at him, with a smile on his face. Those yellow eyes were now lit up with satisfaction.

"If I may, with the approval of the entire League, set a blockade of half of my fleet, on the Planet of Hylia? I don't want any more deception, as we have seen here today by representative Link. I believe this conspiracy may rest on the hands of others, and not just a mere delegate. I would like this investigation quickly followed through, and a blockade would ensure its efficiency and cooperation on the part of Planet Hylia," Wolf asked the entire chamber and Magnus.

Many delegates spoke out approvingly, while others nodded in acceptance. Magnus took note of this.

"Fine, I grant you permission, so much as two-thirds of the League agrees," the 46th Leader spoke.

And, as all matters were usually resolved, the dome burst into an ocean of applause. The blockade was approved on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Phew, that was a tedious chapter to punch out. I hope you all enjoy! Next up is Chapter 5: The Princess of Hylia, Zelda.**


	5. Chapter 5: Zelda

**PART ONE**

**CHAPTER FIVE: ZELDA**

"Link? Is that you?" Zelda called out into the vast, dark space. She could see a figure in the distance, and she had this feeling it was Link…again. She started to run towards the person.

"Link? What's happened?" she asked.

As she approached him, she noticed that he wasn't making eye contact with her. In fact, he acted as if she wasn't there. Then he sat down onto the dark, empty space. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, hanging his head down. She tried to reach her arm out to him, but as she did, it seemed as if he was moving away from her.

"No…no…Link…something terrible has happened….Why won't you look at me?" she cried out.

It seemed as though he was now moving his head toward her direction, as if he had heard her, but he stopped, and looked to the left. It was obvious what had caught his attention. There was Ganondorf, standing off to the side.

Zelda stumbled backwards at the sight of him. Ganondorf began to move towards Link, menacingly. He had a crooked smile on his face, and yellow eyes that never blinked.

Zelda tried to move in between them, but she couldn't reach them. She was running, but getting nowhere.

Ganondorf pulled out his large sword. His other hand reached down and grabbed the top of Link's head, engulfing it in his fist.

"No….!" Zelda screamed. She lunged forward, but again, she seemed to just fall in the same place, being unable to reach Link.

Ganondorf, lifting Link up, swung his giant blade over his head and around his side. It was moving in on Link's neck.

"Link!! Link!! Please…do something!! Fight back!!" Zelda screamed with all the air in her lungs. Tears began streaming down her cheeks.

But there was nothing her yelling could do. Ganondorf's sword zeroed in on Link's neck, effectively cutting into it.

"NOOOO!" Zelda shrieked.

Opening her eyes, she realized it was just a dream. Just another nightmare about Link. It must've been the 6th one this week. Except this time, there was Ganondorf. All the others involved some strange insect-like creature. She sat up in her bed, wiping the tears from her face. Sighing, she moved out from under her covers, and walked toward the two large doors that framed massive panes of glass with etched ornate imagery on them, all centering on the Triforce symbol. The doors lead to the balcony that looked over the private Hyrule forest that was situated behind the castle. It was cold out and the breeze was refreshing.

As she stood in her white sleeping gown, with its plunging, open back that went down to the bottom of her spine, she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the owls hooting and the crickets chirping in the distance. She tried to calm herself, and focus her attention on how the breeze brushed against her bare back and as it moved in and out of her loose, blonde hair, but her mind kept diverting itself to that message she received many days ago:

"We regret to inform you, Your Highness, but it appears your delegate to the League of Cosmos, Link, is to be confined in our prisoner's quarters until his trial date. And as such, we must conduct an investigation into the supposed deal he made with a Confederation Pirate. A blockade will be enforced upon your planet of Hylia-"

She cut off the message as it replayed in her thoughts. Frowning, she looked up to the moon, wondering if any of the blockading vessels could be seen in the night sky. She spotted what she thought was one, but it only angered her more. Turning around, she headed back to her bed, hoping to get one night of rest. Perhaps this time she won't remember her dream.

As she opened the doors, she noticed Impa, her sheikah advisor, sitting on her bed. Impa was a strong woman, both in character and physical strength. She was Zelda's bodyguard, and taught her much of the wisdom of the sheikahs. When Zelda was younger, Impa had instructed her on the secrets of the sheikah's combat skills. Zelda had learned how to throw needles, attack and defend herself with a metal chain, and disappear and daze opponents with Deku nuts. Before officially becoming the Princess of Hyrule, she had undergone a year of intense physical training. Something that was necessary should the Princess ever have to defend herself…

"You were having another nightmare…I could hear you from my room." Impa said to Zelda. Because Impa and Zelda were so close, almost a mother-daughter relationship, there were little formalities between the two.

"Yes, I did have another one. I have a feeling something terrible has happened to Link…something worse than simply being locked away in a prison cell…It was Ganondorf…I saw him. He …hurt Link" Zelda explained, not wanting to remember that Ganondorf had actually killed Link.

"…I am sure Link is fine. The prisoner quarters of the League are some of the most heavily guarded in the entire galaxy. Remember Zelda, though the visions are not false, it is the interpretations of them that create a sense of truth or falsity. You felt it yourself that Ganondorf had something to do with Link's imprisonment. That could be what the dream was telling you." Although Impa did not know specifically, the ways of the Triforce, she knew that Zelda had been endowed with the ability to have visions. That was the gift of the Triforce of wisdom.

"I will consider what you have said," Zelda yawned, sitting down on her bed in a slumped posture. She put a hand up to her head and rubbed her temple.

"You must go to bed. Try and rest easy…we have a very important matter to discuss tomorrow," Impa reminded Zelda as she walked out of Zelda's private room.

The important matter exclusively dealt with the fact that Hylia was seemingly under attack by a dark force. Something had been stirring up in the countryside, completely wiping out entire towns and villages. And it all started not too long after the blockade.

To find out what was going wrong, Zelda had sent Hyrule soldiers to scout out the countryside, but none of them returned. In fact, it seemed that Zelda was lucky enough to have even found out that something was terrorizing Hylia. A peculiar, traveling mask salesman had rushed into the capital of Hyrule a few days ago, screaming bloody murder and demanding to see the Princess. He said that entire towns were crawling with mutated, walking corpses but he wouldn't elaborate on the details. Eventually, he went mad and had to be thrown into the dungeons because he became a threat to anyone that came near him.

Now, there were rumors that towns nearest to Hyrule were crawling with these strange creatures. It seemed that nobody would speak openly of the problem, for those who had witnessed it, fled in fear and were never seen again. Citizens of Hylia were now living in a state of terror, and it seemed that under the blockade, and with the entire Hylia fleet still at the League, there was little Zelda could do…

As things became increasingly dire, she had sent a message of distress from an emergency beacon at the castle. It was the only thing that she could legally use as communication. All other forms were effectively hindered by the blockade, and this was all she could do for now.

As she crawled back underneath her blankets, she was hoping that she would receive a reply to her message by dawn. The fate of her people, and perhaps herself, relied upon this.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_The Next Day_

Sitting upon her throne, Zelda cast a solemn gaze upon the marble floor. She was awaiting the news from Rauru, the sage of light, one of her most trusted advisors. Rauru had been up before her, as she did not sleep very well, and he had checked on the beacon for a reply to their message. Dashing down the great hall, the old man knelt before Zelda.

"We have received a response," Rauru said, raising himself up. He was a balding old man, with white hair that circled an increasing bald spot on the center of his head. A thick, white mustache covered the space between his nose and mouth, and went all the way across his face, connecting to his sideburns. He was dressed in a bulky, ornate brown robe with sleeves that hung well below his hands.

"_A_ response?" Zelda questioned. "As in only one? Why haven't more systems replied?" Her impatience was showing through. Some of the guards that lined the hall seemed taken aback by this sudden, un-princess like attitude.

"I understand your anger, Your Highness…I have some disconcerting news to bring you. The person who replied to our distress signal was only a bounty hunter, known as Samus Aran."

Zelda raised an eyebrow in response. "How could this be? A bounty hunter and no one else?" she thought to herself.

Rauru continued, "She had somehow passed through the blockade and received our message. Samus Aran warned us that this blockade, lead by Wolf of the Lylat System and sanctioned by the League, is being illegally conducted and currently not monitored specifically by agents of the League. We have reason to believe her as well. According to the Galactic Laws, our distress signal should have been acted upon. At the least, our neighboring planets should have received our message. However, not even Planet Twilight has taken action to our plea for aid and assistance…So, it appears this blockade has even hindered our distress signal."

Zelda sunk her face into her hands. The lack of sleep and the added stress of the news Rauru told her was beginning to take its toll. "How can we be sure that this bounty hunter is not telling us lies?" she asked.

"Samus Aran claimed she worked alongside with Link, in the investigations of pirate activity in the Chozon Prime," Rauru said.

He paused for a moment.

"But…there's more…Princess Zelda…I hate to add more to this already desperate situation but, …Link has been kidnapped, or so the bounty hunter has told us," Rauru lowered his voice and bowed his head toward the ground as he finished. It was the only way he could deliver such disheartening news.

"Link?" Zelda could feel the tears beginning to swell in her eyes. She edged herself off of the throne in reaction to what Rauru had just said, as if she hadn't heard right. Her face seemed frozen for a moment. A look of sadness pervaded her expression.

"This is most troubling…" she nearly whispered, as she slowly hung her head down, then glanced out at one of the great windows that lined the royal hall.

"It appears that the League believes Link has actually escaped, thanks to the deceitful efforts of Wolf and Ganondorf, and the growing number of their supporters. However, Samus, this bounty hunter, believes he was kidnapped. She supports his innocence, just as we have, and believes he was set up by Wolf and perhaps Ganondorf," Rauru said.

Zelda nodded her head. It appeared that she could trust this bounty hunter, if only because Samus supported Link's innocence.

Before Zelda could verbally respond to this information Rauru laid out, the captain of the Hyrule royal guard rushed into the hall.

"Your Highness! Princess Zelda! Forgive me for the intrusion, but there are a growing number of town citizens gathering at the Temple of Time and in the main city. Numbering perhaps in the thousands! The entire city is overrun by people, what should we do, there-" the captain was cut off abruptly.

Zelda raised her head towards the direction of the royal guard and said: "There is nothing that needs to be done"

"Your Highness…?" the man was perplexed by Zelda's reaction.

She closed her eyes and paused for a moment. "They are gathering here to pray. They have nowhere else to turn to." Her right hand settled over her heart as she spoke. "They come to the Temple, for solace."

"It would seem then, that this threat has virtually overrun every village and town other than Hyrule," Rauru paused, deep in thought. "I fear it may no longer be safe here either. We must come up with a plan, and soon-" This time it was Rauru who was cut off by Zelda.

"Yes," she interrupted, "something must be done. Rauru, I trust that to you. Right now I must go to the Temple. I can only hope that my presence will be of some consolation to my people." Zelda got up from her throne and began walking down the hall. Impa, who was always at her side, followed from behind. As the two passed each guard, the soldiers bent one knee and pointed their lances toward them.

"I didn't act fast enough…" Zelda thought to herself as she proceeded out of the castle to the Temple.

"I have severely underestimated this threat, Impa. I have allowed this blockade to get out of hand. I should have known something was awry…there's been no incidence that would point to an investigation going on. You'd think that we'd at least be questioned by an agent of the League….but to hear from this bounty hunter that none are present at the blockade…is very upsetting to say the least. "

"Zelda," Impa began, "there was nothing that you, or I, or anyone could do…our royal fleet is away in the galaxy, and their leader, Link, has been imprisoned, supposedly kidnapped. What can be done?"

Zelda pondered on what it is that could be done. But, as she came to the city, her attention was diverted to the plight of her people. As she walked by, each person she passed reached their hand out to touch her. With every touch, she felt their fear, their sorrow. Many were in the city as refugees; others were simply anticipating their dismal future.

Even though the city was laden with Hylian citizens, there was silence throughout. The only sound was the occasional crow cawing in the distance…

Finally, Zelda arrived at the Temple of Time and stood at the altar of the three goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru. She knelt before the stone statues. Impa did the same.

Suddenly, a strange feeling came over her. Zelda felt an intense pressure to turn around and look upon her people. It was almost as if someone was controlling her body as she stood up and turned around. Moving her eyes across the room, she noticed that every person was on their hands and knees. The entire temple was covered by bodies; not a single space left unoccupied. And, as she looked out the temple's windows, she could see more people doing the same.

Then, a sudden and horrific vision overcame her. All around her, she could see the same people, but instead, they were all lying on the ground. Some on their backs, others face down. They were all covered in blood. The vision was so strong that she could nearly smell the iron-like scent of the red liquid. And, as quickly as it came, it was gone.

"Zelda…?" Impa whispered to her "What's wrong?"

Zelda turned around and knelt again. After the vision, a sense of resolution and determination crossed her mind. She had finally decided what to do.

"We must go to the League. I want Rauru to contact this bounty hunter if she is still within range of us, and work out some plan of escape. I don't care if this violates the blockade. I must do something for my people, or they will all perish. I_ know_ there is a correlation between Wolf's blockade and the death and destruction on this planet…the League must hear of this."

Impa nodded her head in response.

"Please, go quickly. I will stay here until the evening, for this may be the last time I look upon these faces, and I want to remember them all," as Zelda finished saying this, she turned her face back toward the crowd. It had seemed that her usual stoic and quiet countenance was back. The former impatience and anxiety appeared to have left her expression.

At first, Impa hesitated at leaving Zelda alone. But she reluctantly left toward the castle.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Later That Night_

It was in the middle of the night when she was awakened by Rauru, Impa, and a small squad of royal guards.

"Your Highness, arrangements for your departure have been made. You must get yourself ready. Come; follow us to the throne room. I need to fill you in on the plan," Rauru said, gesturing towards her chamber door. She hastily put on her robe and followed them to the throne room.

Once she had arrived at the great hall, she noticed a woman who looked familiar to her, but was dressed up in the royal garb that Zelda usually wore.

"What is going on?" she asked Rauru.

"Even behind the magical disguise you must recognize this woman. It is Nabooru, the sage of the spirits and the leader of the Gerudos. I have cast an illusion upon her, in your guise. She will be your stand in at the League. It would be far too great of a risk for you to go in as yourself, considering what has happened to Link," Rauru explained.

Nabooru knelt before Zelda once Rauru was done, "It is a great honor to serve you. It is also my hope to protect Hylia, as this terrible threat is on the brink of entering our great desert."

Zelda knelt to Nabooru in return, "You mustn't kneel before me anymore. It is I who will now do this. Rauru's plan is sound, but I worry for your safety-"

Standing up, Nabooru spoke back, "if I wasn't coming along, I'd be in danger anyway."

"I understand," the Hylian princess said.

"You must disguise yourself as Sheik, if Nabooru is to take your place," Impa remarked.

"Yes, that would be wise," Rauru put in. "While you remained at the temple, I was able to get in contact again with Samus Aran, the bounty hunter from before. Together, we devised a plan and two hours from now it will began. Nabooru, Impa, and you and I, along with a squad of royal guards will leave the castle to the private royal forest in the back. Once we reach the Lake of Time within the forest, we will finally make our escape. There, Samus has made arrangements with a covert operations team from Planet Earth, of the Solar System, to safely extract and escort us to the League."

"You are sure that we can trust her and this team she's hired?" Zelda inquired.

"We don't have a choice," Rauru answered back.

Zelda nodded. Everything felt so much out of control to her. She took a heavy breath and walked toward the largest window that was situated at the end of the throne room. It looked over all of Hyrule.

"This will be the first time I leave Hylia…the first time I will be in space…" Zelda felt a twinge of nervousness when she spoke those words. She looked down at her hands. To her surprise, they were trembling. She had never felt this way before; her mind was relatively calm, but her body was anxious, fearful, and scared. It was as if her physical self was outside of her control.

Impa walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zelda, would you like a moment in the courtyard gardens?"

"Yes," the princess spoke, "I need some time to compose myself."

Once they arrived at the gardens, Zelda and Impa sat on the lawn, in the center of the courtyard. They faced each other, legs crossed. Impa waited a moment, and then began a quiet chant in her native sheikah language. It was slow at first, but she began to speed it up, as each sentence was repeated.

Zelda listened to Impa. The sound of Impa's voice in her native tongue was soothing, but Zelda still felt anxiety within herself. Waiting for the right moment, she joined in; mimicking exactly the sound and speed of Impa's chanting meditation.

What had only seemed like a few minutes turned into an hour, as the two continued to meditate in the garden.

Suddenly, there was a crash at the courtyard door. Rauru, along with the royal guards rushed towards Zelda and Impa.

"Your Highness! The city walls and gates have been breached, we are under attack!" he cried out.

Zelda snapped out of her meditation. She looked up to the sky and saw it glowing.

"Fire?" she thought.

"Quickly Zelda! Our plan must begin soon. I have contacted Samus again, and she is hastening the arrival of our rescuers. Now is the time to make final orders and preparations," the sage of light explained.

"This threat has arrived sooner than we even feared," Zelda said, standing up and staring off into the glowing night sky. "Impa, gather every royal guard to save as many citizens as they can. They are not to make any attacks against this enemy. This is purely a last resort rescue. How many they can save and where they go afterwards is entirely up to their chances of survival…" She paused, turning towards the guards that were accompanying Rauru.

"Every life that can be saved will be invaluable to the rebuilding of Hylia. I will send the Hylian Fleet as reinforcements once we arrive at the League. However, it is likely they will not be able to make it through the blockade. I will try everything in my power to reverse this illegal blockade and bring the aid and assistance that we deserve. You must remain alive and well until I return," she commanded to the men.

And with that, they headed back toward the throne room to send out the same orders, and retrieve Nabooru.

"Ready, Your Highness?" Zelda said, bowing to Nabooru. The Gerudo was still disguised as the Hylian Princess. Although it was magic that was creating the illusion, some things, such as her long nose, large eyes, and shapely body, could not be covered up. Not even with Rauru's magic.

"Yes, let us leave at once," the decoy replied.

Just as they headed out of the throne room, yelling and shouting could be heard at the castle gates. Zelda began towards the great window, to see what was going on. "Had the menace reached the castle already?" she thought to herself. But before she could see, Impa grabbed her arm.

"We must go! Now!" ordered Rauru, looking at her sternly. She reluctantly gave up on looking out the window.

Impa, Zelda, Rauru, Nabooru, and the royal guards escorting them, began to rush out of the throne room and down the hall towards their escape.

As they rounded a corner, a great shatter and crash could be heard coming from the throne room. Two guards that were following the group stopped and rushed to the sound.

"Keep moving!" Rauru ordered the others.

Now, as they moved down a long corridor, they could hear strange, unfamiliar footsteps and thumping coming from behind. Zelda was about to glance behind herself to see what was chasin them, but they had to quickly round another corner. As they did, Rauru stopped at a door, unlocking it. Two other guards that were with them, turned the corner they previously came from, and ran towards their pursuers.

As Rauru successfully unlocked the door, they could hear screams of agony and pain coming from the guards. Nabooru and Rauru moved inside the unlocked room. Zelda could see from in the doorway that the room was full of piles of boxes and containers. It was nothing but a mere storage room.

"Guards!" Impa shouted down the hall. After she did, more soldiers ran from down the opposite end of the hall, toward her.

"Go Zelda!" the sheikah instructed her. Impa pushed her into the room, but Zelda caught her arm.

"What about you?! You're coming with us…don't stay out there!" she pleaded to her most trusted advisor.

"Zelda! Let go! We don't have any time for this!" Rauru yelled to the Princess.

Impa turned solemnly towards Zelda. She cupped a hand onto Zelda's cheek, and looked the Hylian lovingly into her eyes, as if for the last time. A small smile crept onto Impa's face as tears began to form in her eyes. It was unusual to see Impa in such a state. She was generally an image of strength and rarely, if ever, showed any emotion.

Zelda could tell by the unusual look on Impa's face that she would never see her again. Tears began flooding down her face as she let go of the sheikah's arm. Her mind raced over a dozen phrases that would be the last thing she would ever say to her advisor, but Zelda didn't react in time. No words seemed fitting for the moment.

Impa shut the door of the storage room, and the three who were left in the room could hear her boarding something against it.

Turning around, Rauru stood in front of a blank wall and put his hands together. He chanted three words. As he finished, a great white light, in the outline of a door appeared on the wall. The old man put a hand against the wall, and light flooded the entire room. As it dissipated, Zelda could see a hallway where Rauru had put his hand.

"Go, Nabooru," he ordered. Then he turned towards Zelda. "You must transform now into Sheik. Our plan of deception counts on it!"

Zelda nodded her head and began to lift her right hand into the air. The Triforce symbol glowed brightly on the back of her hand. She was about to begin the transformation, but she heard a woman's cry from outside the door, and she faltered.

"Impa…." She said aloud, bringing her trembling hand down.

"Zelda….you mustn't waver!" Rauru told her.

She took a deep breath, choking back her desire to burst into tears and cry out.

Finally, she began the transformation. A great white light shrouded her body, and once it dimmed out, there, before Rauru, stood Zelda's alter ego, Sheik. It was still Zelda through and through and still a woman where it counted, but using her magic, the princess was able to completely change her eye color, skin color, clothing, and form. Now, under this disguise, she had the muscular build of a man.

Sheik ran forward down the hall to catch up with Nabooru. Rauru went in after and used his magic once again, effectively sealing the passage.

Once they exited the passage, they found themselves in the great, private Hyrule forest, behind the castle.

"Follow me," Rauru said, with Nabooru and Sheik following.

After some time, the three had reached the edge of the Lake of Time that was in the middle of the forest. In the clearing, Sheik looked up, examining the night sky. Now it was glowing a fiery red…the same color as her eyes.

"There," Rauru said, pointing to a silhouette in the distance, across the lake. As they approached the figure, it slunk back behind the cover of a few trees.

Once they approached the area where the mysterious person was hiding, Rauru spoke aloud.

"The hounds have caught-" Rauru began.

"-the fox," a voice called back, revealing himself from behind the trees. It seemed to Sheik that this was the person Rauru had planned to meet, under Samus's plan, as Rauru and the man seemed to have planned a code to call out to each other, signifying their presence.

As she got a better look, Sheik could see the man under the glow of the red sky. He was tall, with a muscular build, in a black skin tight bodysuit with straps crossing his chest, legs, hips, and arms. The straps carried what seemed a plethora of gear. He had a headband just above his piercing grey-blue eyes, and the loose ends seemed to flow effortlessly in the wind. Brown hair smoothed across his head, going down his neck. A small beard lined his jaw, reaching up to his sideburns. Stubble covered the rest of the lower portion of his face, and the man had strong cheekbone dimples.

"This is Princess Zelda of Hylia," Rauru said, motioning towards Nabooru in her disguise. "This is her bodyguard, Sheik," he continued, moving onto Zelda in her magical façade.

"I am Rauru, Her Majesty's advisor," he finished.

"The name's Snake," the other man said in a gruff, masculine voice.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**I think you can guess what the next chapter's perspective will be under. : ) **

**And thanks to everyone who has stuck with the story and reviewed it! Your advice and compliments have really helped!**


	6. Chapter 6: Snake

**Part One**

**Chapter Six: Snake**

**- - - - - - - - - - **

**Author's note: **The Princess refers to Nabooru in disguise, and Sheik will be referred to as a "he" because that's what Snake thinks she is.

**- - - - - - - - - -**

Once the introductions were done with, Snake turned around and motioned the three Hylians to follow him through the forest. As they proceeded, he put his hand up to his ear to contact his crew on his COM.

"Otacon, I'm gonna need a transport. Come around to the place I pointed out to earlier," Snake instructed.

"Right Snake, I'll be there soon," Otacon, Snake's ally, was a scientist known as Hal Emmerich while not under his code name.

"How's it going up there with you and Mei Ling? No problems?" Snake asked.

"None so far. I think this temporary radar cloaking device is working on our spacecraft. However, I wish we could've had a chance to test it…you know, if we were caught…I mean, well, you know what I mean…" the scientist stumbled on his words.

"Yeah, yeah, I know cloaking technology is illegal, but we ran out of time for any tests or a different strategy. It appears that whatever is going on, on this planet, is getting really heated," Snake replied.

"Yeah, I can see the fires from up here…well…anyway, I'm closing in on our location," Otacon said.

And with that, their discussion was finished. Snake could barely see the clearing in the forest up ahead, where Otacon would pick them up in their transport spacecraft.

While the entire group moved in on the area, Snake began thinking about what had got him into this situation. When Samus had contacted him about it not too long ago, he was originally against the idea, but remembered that he had in fact owed her this. She had helped him out after all…

- - -

About five years ago he was on a mission to investigate an underground network of terrorists that were about to get their hands on nuclear space missiles. Samus, being a bounty hunter, was hired by this terrorist organization to capture Snake, as they were onto his mission of infiltration. She had not been aware of the group's terrorist nature and intent on obtaining subspace nuclear missiles, so she accepted the job.

Amazingly, Samus was successfully able to capture him. As she was about to complete the mission, Snake decided to gain an upper hand in the situation, and attempted to spark a romance between him and her. Although an unconventional move for him, it worked…to a degree. While she did become involved, she wasn't about to let it interfere with her job. And during their developing affair, Snake learned that Samus wasn't a scumbag bounty hunter, and actually had a sense of morals and ethics.

Finally, he had an idea on how to "rescue" himself. Playing on her morals, he told her all the information that he gathered on the group she was working for. She initially didn't believe that she had allowed herself to work for a terrorist group, so Samus decided to find out for herself. Upon meeting with her employers, she learned that what Snake had told her was true. She then made up her mind not to turn him in. Instead, the two joined forces and brought the organization down.

Once the mission was over, Snake had to leave Samus. She had grown quite smitten with him, and he had thought her to be an exceptional fighter, for a woman. But, as was the nature of Snake, they wouldn't stay together. Not skilled in the arts of "breaking up," he just abruptly left her, without saying good-bye.

And now, after five years, he would see her again. Things were going to be awkward.

- - -

They were about to reach a small clearing in the forest, when a deep, bellowing moan could be heard from afar.

"What was that?" Snake asked, turning to Rauru.

"That is the reason you are here to help us escape. I do hope your transport will be here…and soon," Rauru said back.

There was another moan, and this time it was closer. The four could actually now hear the sound of leaves rustling and tree branches shaking.

Snake turned himself around and looked to the sky. Off in the distance he saw the transport spacecraft. "Here! Follow me!" he cried out, running into the clearing.

As the Princess, Sheik, Rauru, and Snake ran out into the clearing, Snake called out, "I hope you are prepared for a quick escape!"

Now, the moaning and thumping of their pursuers seemed only a few feet away. The transport swept down onto the ground, running along the clearing, about five feet from the grass floor.

The spacecraft was now moving in to cross paths with them. Snake saw as the cargo bay in the back opened up. In it was Mei Ling, one of Snake's trusted team members, standing at the edge, with rope in tow. He signaled for her to throw it out to them.

Mei Ling threw it out just as the ship flew by in front of the four running on the ground.

Snake, Rauru, and the Princess managed to grab on, but Sheik was too far away to have caught the rope. The transport jerked upwards, as the clearing was about to end and the forest's edge was approaching. The three were suspended in the air, hanging on. Mei Ling ran to the side, hitting a button so that the ship would mechanically wind the rope up, bringing them into the cargo bay.

Just as the final person, Snake, got on board, he whipped himself around, knowing that Sheik had been left behind. He was about to call out to Otacon to swing around again, when he saw two hands appear on the edge of the ship. They were wrapped in white bandages…it was Sheik.

Snake rushed to the edge to help the bodyguard up, but as he began to move forward, he watched, seemingly in slow motion, as Sheik flipped himself upwards and landed in the cargo bay.

Mei Ling moved forward to quickly close the cargo bay, as they had ascended too high off the ground for it to remain safely open.

"How did he do that?" Snake thought to himself. The mysterious red-eyed warrior had been able to jump nearly 20 feet in the air, in order to have grabbed on. Snake was fascinated by this, and followed Sheik, the Princess, and Rauru into the passenger wing. They were led by Mei Ling.

After she had introduced herself to all of them, Mei Ling left the room and moved back into the cockpit, where Otacon was. Snake proceeded to rummage through the food storage locker. Upon finding only calorie mates, and absolutely no cup o' noodles left, he decided to sit down on one of the many sectionals. He reached his hand onto his shoulder, pressing a small, discreet button. His black one-piece body suit now changed into a grayish-blue tone. This new camouflage technology Otacon created was very appealing to Snake.

After sitting down, he turned his gaze toward the Hylian Princess. She had a very tiny waist and curves where Snake liked it. Her big eyes were a golden, yellow tone that seemed to suggest shrewdness and a cunning personality. She also had a long, slender nose. Her ears were not pointed…unlike her advisor, Rauru. And something about her didn't seem princess like to Snake, but he had never really met one. It was only in fairytales that they existed to him.

He then turned his head toward Rauru. The old, white haired man was speaking silently to the Princess. He was dressed rather strangely, but then again, Snake had never been to Planet Hylia before. Rauru had pointed, elfin like ears, and a constant stern look that demanded authority. Maybe even more so than the Princess.

Then Snake looked around for that gravity-defying bodyguard. He finally saw him, at the small window, looking outwards. The warrior seemed to have a weary, sad, and contemplative look on his face. He was dressed in a skin-tight dark blue garb that went so far as to cover his feet entirely. White bandages wrapped around a thigh, on the arms, the top of the head, on the braided hair, the upper part of his chest…in so many places you'd think he was horribly injured. To Snake, it seemed a mark of a warrior. That, and the dagger that was attached to the lower back.

As Snake continued to look over Sheik, the bodyguard turned his head abruptly, locking eyes with him. The once, sad look now transformed into an angry expression. Sheik's eyebrows crushed down upon his piercing red eyes. Snake narrowed his eyes, wondering why Sheik was giving such an aggressive stare.

"You'll have to excuse the Princess's bodyguard. He's a bit… assertive in his demeanor," Rauru chimed in, noticing the exchange of glances between Sheik and Snake.

"…right…" Snake muttered, getting up.

"Snake? Are you in the passenger wing? I need you up in the cockpit," Otacon's voice rang over the loudspeaker.

When Snake entered the cockpit, Mei Ling got up, yawned, and told him she was going to call it a night. He moved into the spot where she had been sitting.

"What is it Otacon?" he asked.

"Samus had just contacted us. She's waiting at the League, and has told us to come disguised. Or at least cloaked…"just in case" was the only reason," Otacon explained.

Snake nodded his head, thinking about going to the cargo bay to look for any robes or cloaks they had on board.

"Snake…" Otacon said, "You know this woman, Samus, am I right? Her name sounds familiar."

"Yeah…I do…" Snake responded rather ambiguously. Not wanting to elaborate to Otacon on him and Samus's past relationship, he moved out of the cockpit to look into the cargo bay. Afterwards he would retire in the sleeping quarters, waiting for their arrival at the League.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Snake…Psst! Snake!" Mei Ling softly spoke into Snake's ear.

"Uhhhnnn...nnnope…" he turned himself over in his bed.

"We're here! We've landed at the League. The Princess, Rauru, and Sheik are up already. I've given everyone some robes and cloaks to wear. Here," she continued, as Snake slowly rose from his bed. "You'll wear this. Hurry and get up."

Once Mei Ling left, Snake got to his feet and wrapped himself in the cloak. It was a deep, dark brown color, with a slight tint of burgundy. He also turned his camo back to black.

Once he exited the sleeping quarters, he pulled the hood over his head and walked to the cargo bay, where Sheik, Rauru, and the Princess were standing, already clothed in their robes

Rauru began to speak as Snake approached. "Snake, I cannot put into words how grateful the Princess and I are, for you and your team to have safely brought us to the League. It is our hope that you will accept a royal, monetary reimbursement upon the resolution of our crisis. We-"

"There's no need for that. Besides, I am not finished here yet," Snake replied.

Rauru gave an inquisitive look. It seemed like he was about to ask why, but then quickly shook that off.

Snake, Rauru, the Princess, and Sheik then walked off the spacecraft, headed off their landing platform, and proceeded to climb the many steps toward the entrance to the League. The steps seemed like 100 yards wide, and were an incredible white marble stone. As they ascended, the bird-like Chozo leader met up with them and greeted Rauru and the Princess.

Sheik and Snake stood off to the side. It appeared that the Chozo leader was going to be their ticket in.

After a short discussion, they all moved in through the great white doors, and entered an elevator. The elevator would take them up the long column that held the circular structure, where the great assembly hall was. After leaving the elevator, they walked up the long, winding hallway, and entered the private Chozo quarters.

Snake noticed Samus, in her "zero suit," sitting at the side. She held a cool and calm expression as their eyes met, but Snake felt himself give a look of surprise. He had forgotten how…shapely she was.

The Chozo was allowing the Hylian Princess and her entourage to use their private quarter.

Samus stood up and walked toward Snake. "Come with me," she said, walking past him and out the door.

When he followed, he found her out in the hall. She pressed a button against a wall, and once she did, the wall revealed itself as a window.

Snake moved in next to her and looked through the window, at the incredible view of the entire city below.

"I didn't know you were in line with the Chozo," Snake finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know," Samus's reply seemed a bit standoffish.

Snake tried to ignore the swipe she made at him. It seemed like she was alluding to the fact that he had left her unexpectedly, five years ago.

Snake finally shot back, "Listen, Samus, I had other missions, things I was obligated to do…I couldn't stay around-"

Samus cut him off, "You don't think I didn't know that? I didn't expect us to be together forever…but you just left. After all we had been through, not even a good-bye…or anything for five years."

Snake paused. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to situations like this.

"Well," Samus said, looking at him with a half smile, "I've put this behind me a long time ago. And besides, you've come through to me now. I'm thankful for what you've done here."

"Yeah, what's this all about anyway? How is helping the Hylians helping you, specifically?" he asked her.

She gave him a look like he was prying too much. "There's someone I need to help. I'm hoping that what we've done will help him…somehow."

"Him?" Snake asked, wondering if she had truly gotten over him. He had a bit of a narcissist attitude when it came to women. Even if he was over them or not even interested, he still liked to think that they wanted him.

Samus's half smile grew wider. "Yep…listen; could you do me another favor? I was hoping you could do some spying on Delegate Ganondorf and Delegate Wolf. I think they're behind the kidnapping of representative Link."

"You mean…uh…his escape?" Snake asked, confused. He remembered that it was known that Link had escaped his prison cell. At least that's what some representatives were saying.

"No, he didn't escape. This I am sure of. He was framed in making a deal with a Confederation Pirate while investigating with me in the Chozon Prime," she told him.

"Oh?" Snake said.

"Yes, and I have a feeling that Wolf, and maybe even Ganondorf, were behind it. And perhaps Link's kidnapping as well. So will you help?" she asked again, "It would be just some simple investigating-"

"No," he cut her off, "I've done my job. That's all I can do."

Samus gave him a slight look of disgust. "So, you're still an asshole…" she said, turning away from him. "You know, I've got more money, if that's what you need," she continued.

"Sorry, Samus. It's just that I-" Snake was cut off by Rauru, who had just entered the hall.

"Pardon me, Snake and Samus, but could I ask the two of you to accompany the Princess and me to the assembly meeting? If you could, it would help us to have more bodies on the platform…to gain more perspectives on our situation. It might help us resolve it sooner," Rauru said.

Samus looked to Snake, then at Rauru and said, "Yes."

Snake considered whether or not to go. He wanted to talk more with Samus, so he decided to go along with the Hylians at the meeting. Afterwards, he could get his final word in, and leave.

Once Snake gave his approval, Rauru thanked the two of them. The old man then motioned the Princess to come out. Behind her was Sheik, her bodyguard.

They moved out on the guest platform of the assembly. The Chozo leader had reserved the guest stage for them, and had also secured an opportunity for the Hylians speak to the entire League assembly. Samus, Snake, Sheik, Rauru, and the Princess stood on the platform, still under their robes and cloaks.

The 46th Leader, King Magnus of Fynn, came onto his platform in the center. It slowly descended downwards.

When it stopped, he spoke, "Delegates, representatives to the League of the Cosmos, today we have a guest speaker, provided by the Great Chozo Leader. They have come to present some good news of the investigations in the Chozon Prime. I will give the floor to them."

Little did Magnus know that the Chozo Leader had tricked him. There would be no presentation about the Chozon Prime.

The Princess walked forward, pulled off her robe, revealing her true identity to all the representatives.

Murmurs and discussion rang throughout the great assembly. Many delegates were stunned to see the Hylian princess. She was supposedly under a blockade, and her presence here was shocking, to say the least.

Snake could see Magnus give a look of intense surprise. This ordeal with the Hylians, it seemed to Snake, was fairly significant considering the reactions the Princess was receiving at her appearance.

After formally introducing herself, she quickly began to lay claim of Wolf's illegal blockade:

"My attendance here at this great assembly must be astonishing to many of you, especially those who uphold Galactic Laws with the highest of integrity. However, sometimes we must break a rule, so that other, more important ones can be upheld. That is why I am here today."

She continued, as the entire room went silent.

"My people are on the verge of extinction. The Hylian civilization is on the brink of eradication. I come before you all to ask for your aid and assistance. We are under attack by an unknown threat. One so quick and deadly, that only three of the millions upon millions of Hylians that deserve to be up here, that deserve to be heard, have made it onto this platform. The blockade, established by Wolf of the Lylat System, has not been monitored by League agents. Our distress signal, sent from our emergency beacon, has not been able to legally pass through the blockade. All of you are testament to this claim. Not one of you, not even our neighboring planets, Twilight and Termina, has come to help us."

The Princess paused for a moment.

"I beg that each and every one of you reverse your support to this illegal blockade and-"

Wolf, delegate to the Lylat System, cut off the Hylian Princess.

"The League has not sent agents because the great, 46th Leader, Magnus, has been busy trying to fill in the void of the investigation in the Chozon Prime, left by Representative Link, who, as you all may remember," Wolf continued, now addressing the entire assembly, "was caught making a deal with a pirate of the Space Pirate Confederation. Furthermore, the wars in the Fire Realm, between Planet Altea and Planet Tellius, have reached such a critical level, that agents-"

"That does not permit an illegal blockade to take place! You have also served no explanation for why you blocked our distress signal." the Princess cut in.

"I have good reason for that decision," Wolf began. "Upon receiving your distress signal, I did a quick sweep of Hylia. The evidence I had found was…unbelievable. Astonishing, shocking, stunning, all are not words that suffice for what I have discovered. I have obtained photographical evidence of the presence of…the Flood."

Once Wolf finished, cries and shouts could be heard in the hall. It quickly erupted into chaos.

Snake was shocked. He couldn't believe that he had rescued the Hylians from the Flood. The fact that he came so close to encountering the terrible alien force of the Flood, unnerved even him. They were lucky they had escaped, he thought.

He noticed Sheik flinch at the news Wolf brought forth. The Princess, Rauru, and Samus seemed shocked as well. Not only was the Flood believed to have been completely killed off, but now the accusations were that it was on their home front.

Magnus worked hard to calm the hall. It was obvious that he himself was stunned. Once he had quieted the assembly to a level where he could hear his own voice, he asked Wolf to present this evidence.

Wolf quickly uploaded the images. He was able to present, on the massive central hologram, graphic scenes of entire villages overrun by the Flood. As he scrolled through, the entire hall became so silent; a pin drop could be heard.

An image of a woman being attacked by a Flood alien beast. Another, of a group of people sprawling on the ground, trying to shake off the small, parasitic forms that were attaching themselves to all parts of the body. The final image, an entire village of corpses, where some bodies were re-animating into the Flood and human corpse hybrid.

Snake tried to avert his gaze at the images, but he had to know himself if the allegations were true. Once the images were gone, he noticed something odd. He could hear gasping, labored breathing coming from Sheik. The usually quiet warrior had his eyes closed and seemed to be shaking. "Crying…?" Snake thought, wondering why the bodyguard was reacting so extremely, as opposed to the Princess or Rauru.

Then Sheik, seemingly overwhelmed by the moment, walked abruptly off the platform. As he did, Snake and Samus exchanged confused glances. Why is this so called 'bodyguard' leaving the princess? The two seemed to ask each other.

Interrupting the silence, Wolf spoke up. "You see?" he began. "They make a deal with a Confederate Pirate and this is what they get. Obviously not able to follow through with their plans with these pirates, as we had successfully locked up Link. And we see the consequences of their failed plans! Now these criminals beg us to help them, beg us to risk our lives to save them from the Flood. Well, this would not have been necessary had they not made a deal with the Space Pirate Confederation! This is why I prevented the distress signal from crossing beyond the blockade. To prevent any innocent martyr from risking their lives for these… criminals…"

As he finished, the entire assembly seemed to drip with fear and anger. Many delegates and representatives were shouting and yelling. The Hylian Princess, not ready for such accusations, seemed at a loss of what to do.

Rauru turned his head and noticed Sheik was gone. He then moved off the platform too. Now Snake and Samus gave each other concerned looks.

Snake glanced up at Magnus, who appeared to be visibly sweating, trying to think of what to do. Then, Wolf spoke up again, "46th Leader, King Magnus, shall you order the guards in again? Look as they try and escape from this damning evidence."

Snake realized he had gotten himself into a trap by coming to this meeting. "Uhh…Samus?" he muttered increasingly impatient and upset under his breath, "Got a plan? We _are_ their cohorts!"

Samus just looked at him, and shook her head. Her expression was that of doubt and unease.

Magnus, up on his platform, seemed to be faltering. "I…uh, the correct reaction would be-" it appeared that the news Wolf brought was only adding to growing list of problems, from the Fire Realm Wars, to the Chozon Prime investigations…Plus, it wasn't him who had dealt with the Flood in the past. That was the 42nd Leader, many, many years ago. His decision on dealing with the Flood could also make or break a possible re-election on his behalf.

The 46th Leader was shaking as he spoke: "We will have a meeting here, in four hours…I-I must gather my advisors….what we are dealing with is…enormous…t-the upcoming elections may have to be postponed u-until this issue is dealt with. No delegate is to l-leave this building, the League itself, until after I h-have a resolution…t-that is all…" he left his platform as quickly as he could.

Snake could hear Samus sighing. He noticed Wolf's obvious look of dissatisfaction at Magnus's decision. Other representatives seemed neutral to the Leaders temporary verdict, but Snake was very grateful. He had just escaped possible imprisonment. He could now take the four hours to formulate a plan of escape.

He and Samus escorted the Princess back to the Chozo private room. When they walked in, he noticed Rauru and Sheik in there. It seemed like Rauru was angrily mouthing off to Sheik.

"Anyone forget a princess?" Snake asked sarcastically. He left the room after saying that. Samus followed him from behind.

"Wait! Snake!" she called out to him. He ignored her as he walked into an elevator. Samus pushed her way through the closing doors.

"The Flood!? Are you kidding me?" Snake snapped at her. "You realize what could have happened back there at the assembly?"

"Yes, I know…but don't you see?" Samus began, "this was all Wolf's plan! That wolf beast has played on this Space Pirate Confederation card for too long not to be suspicious. I think he's the one that's made the deal. He's the one, along with Ganondorf, who have been funding the pirates in the Chozon Prime, possibly for the Phazon technology."

"The Phazon?" Snake questioned aloud, remembering the meteor incident on Tallon IV.

"For what purpose, I would not know. But in order to get to this Phazon, he has had to make a deal with the Confederation Pirates. They are one of the few who know of the Phazon's whereabouts and just how to get it. But, in making a deal with these pirates, who we all know have a strong alliance with the Flood, Wolf must've been forced to help resurrect the Flood. And this blockade was the way to do it!" Samus told him.

"So…he framed Link in order to create this blockade? So he could complete his end of the deal?" Snake began to put together.

"Right," Samus said. "But there's still more to this. There are still things that don't make sense…" she said, crossing her arms.

"Link's disappearance…or so-called kidnapping?" Snake asked.

"Yes, that and the reason as to why this Phazon would be sought after by Wolf, and probably Ganondorf as well. After all, it was Ganondorf who originally put Link into the investigation, where Link was subsequently framed, so he must've been in on Wolf's plan," Samus spoke.

Just then, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. The two stepped out into a small room that led to a balcony. Two guards that were at the door stopped them.

"Where are you two going?" one of them asked.

"Onto the balcony for a smoke," Snake said.

The guards let them pass, but seemed to keep an eye on them as they stood outside.

"What are you going to do now, Snake?" Samus asked him, breaking the silence, as he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag.

"Well, looks like I'm stuck here for now," he said, walking towards the edge. He looked down off the balcony. Below him was the city, but landing platforms, designated for the delegates of the League, covered most of the space nearby.

He then turned his back to the railing, looking all around. "I'm gonna need to leave, though. And soon. I don't like this growing tension. I don't mean to get caught up in all of this. That Wolf character is a conniving son of a…" he stopped himself as his eyes looked upon Samus.

She sighed after he had said that, and looked wearily at the ground as the breeze ruffled her bangs. Seeing her like this almost brought him back to whatever feelings he had once had for her, five years ago.

A stronger breeze kicked up and blew his cigarette out. Whatever feelings of their past relationship that had resurged within him were now replaced by annoyance and dismay.

He turned around to face the railing again, and tossed his half-finished cigarette into the air. After he did, he watched as it drifted in the wind. His eyes continued to follow the cigarette until something strange down below stopped them.

There was a familiar group of people, down on a landing platform. They were boarding off of a spacecraft.

"No…no..." he said aloud, leaning his body far over the edge to get a closer look.

"This can't be...they were...most of them are..." he thought to himself, reaching for his binoculars.

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**Wow, these chapters keep getting longer and longer, I realize. I hope you enjoy, and that all of this makes sense. Thanks to Nintendogeek01, the Digital Dimension, Ri2, Lnign Wrmag, and Ralf Jones for the reviews!! : )**


	7. Chapter 7: Samus

**Part One**

**Chapter Seven: Samus**

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"Snake?! What is it?" Samus asked him, watching as he was nearly leaning his entire body over the railing. He had just brought out his binoculars, and was busy studying something below them.

He wouldn't respond to her. Snake seemed fixated on whatever he was watching through the lens. She couldn't wait a second longer for his reply. Samus reached her arm out, but then Snake flinched back unexpectedly, before she could touch him.

He moved quickly, grabbing her, and spinning around, behind one of the two support columns that were on the balcony, that was holding another deck above it.

"Snake!" she whispered, quickly becoming irritated. While they hid behind the column, he resumed his watch on his binoculars. Samus was about to blow a fuse. She remembered what it was about him that irritated her: Snake was arrogant; Snake was a loner; Snake didn't seem to function like a normal human being. He did whatever he wanted to do, and didn't work well with others.

"Ocelot…? Mantis…?" he muttered under his breath, finally saying something.

"What?" she asked, but quickly realized it was pointless. She would just have to see for herself. And she did. Samus reached out and grabbed Snake's binoculars. It took him by surprise, but he didn't seem to mind her looking.

Through the binoculars she could see a group of five people. The one in the front was an old man, dressed in cowboy-like attire. Behind him was a woman, dressed in black with silver hair. In the middle, was a strange looking figure. He was wearing a strange black skin tight suit, with tight black gloves covering almost all of his arms. His head was covered in a gas mask…it was unusual to see someone walking around casually in a gas mask.

As Samus studied the man, she noticed his head turn in her direction. She felt like he was looking at her, even though such an obtrusive mask would make it hard to see that far. She continued to watch the man, until he stopped walking, and just stared at her. The others walked a bit further, and then stopped as well.

Samus decided to stop looking, as she thought the man was now clearly watching her. She moved in behind the column again, to hide.

"Who are they?" she asked Snake, handing back the binoculars. The expression on his face was troubled. He seemed deep in thought, as he looked at the ground.

"Well…uh…." he stammered. Then his eyes moved up and locked with hers.

"Mostly people I've killed…" he said in a tone that seemed forced and unnatural, for one would not expect to say such a thing.

Samus frowned, thinking perhaps he was joking. But the way in which Snake looked, and the way he spoke suggested otherwise.

"Well…" she said, thinking about how to respond, "Apparently not…"

But Snake didn't seem to appreciate the jest. This confirmed to Samus that Snake was not joking.

"Looks like I'll be here longer than I wanted," he sighed, putting away his binoculars.

His face seemed to turn into a haggard and exhausted look as he said those words. As if what he had saw through his binoculars were ghosts from his past, coming back to haunt him.

Samus put one hand on his shoulder; because she knew what is was like to carry such a burden. Snake looked up at her eyes, with a curious look on his face. Looking back at him, Samus began to reminisce of their past together. His momentarily innocent and troubled face flooded her with those memories.

But then it reminded her of why it was good of him to have left her. The pain…it was coming back again. This time she felt it physically in her gut. It slowly moved its way into her heart, as the organ began to beat faster.

The vision was reviving itself in her thoughts again. The sounds of someone painfully moaning…the sound of a young child crying…the blood that began to pool at the child's side…the hand that reached out from the blood, trying to touch the child…trying to touch Samus…

Every time she got close to someone…every time…the same pain, the same vision.

"Samus? Uh, Samus? Are you alright?" Snake was holding onto her arm that was attached to his shoulder. Unbeknownst to her, her grip was tightening on his shoulder.

She quickly snapped out of the vision, and released her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine…sorry," she said turning her back to him and heading back inside. She could hear him following her. She stood inside, in front of the elevator. She didn't know what to do. Samus felt embarrassed for allowing herself to get carried away like that in front of someone, again.

"Good idea Samus. Let's head back to the Chozo quarters. I don't want to run into those people here. Not now, anyway," Snake said, entering the elevator.

"What? Oh, right," Samus responded, realizing a little too late that Snake had thought she was going to the elevator.

Once they entered the private Chozo quarters, Samus could see the Chozo leader sitting at the head of the main table. To his right was the Princess of Hylia, with her bodyguard, Sheik, behind her. To the left was Rauru, the Hylian advisor. In front of Samus and Snake, and standing before the Chozo, was an incredibly tall person, in bulky green armor. He seemed familiar to Samus. And then she realized…

It was none other than Spartan 117, also known as Master Chief. The famed soldier who helped eliminate the Covenant, destroy the Halo, and supposedly wipe out the Flood. He stood before the Hylian Princess and the Chozo Leader. Samus and Snake, not wanting to interrupt the meeting, walked off to the side, to sit on some sectionals.

Master Chief stood seven feet tall in his armor. It was a light green tone, with black underneath, in between plating. His helmet's visor shone a rich golden, amber tone.

The two watched as he extended his arm out. Using his other arm, he pressed a button on the one extended. In his open palm appeared a hologram of a purple-bluish woman. She introduced herself as Cortana, delegate to the Solar System.

"I come before you two, the great Chozo leader and Princess Zelda of Hylia, to discuss the issue of the Flood. I have been sent under the orders of the United Nation's Space Command, of Planet Earth in the Solar System. Delegate Wolf presented some stunning evidence of the existence of the Flood on Hylia. I must ask you, Your Highness, if this alien force has in fact, invaded your planet," Cortana finished.

"Yes…well, we never saw the creatures themselves. It happened so fast…so terribly quick…" The Princess explained.

"Yes," Cortana began, "Such is the nature of the Flood. Can you confirm that those pictures truthfully represented your planet, your people?"

"Yes…I recognized the places…" The Princes solemnly said.

"The UNSC, in accordance to our past experiences and ability to destroy the Flood, have special privileges. Although the 46th Leader, Sir Magnus, King of Fynn has made a temporary resolution of putting off the issue until he has allotted enough time with his counsel, we have the ability to take any course of action against the Flood, as long as we have permission from Representatives in the specific jurisdiction," Cortana explained.

"What sort of 'course of action' are we talking about?" Rauru asked.

"We will completely wipe out the Flood, as immediately as we can, to contain this threat and prevent your neighboring planets from being intercepted by this force," Cortana answered back.

"Why are you offering to help us?" The Princess inquired. "Many have labeled us as criminals…"

"If you're referring to the statements made by Representative Wolf, I've paid them no attention. To be frank, that delegate is composed of no more than two things: fur and hot air. I am also not so convinced that the Hylian government, of all peoples, would make a deal with the Space Pirate Confederation…" Cortana paused. "And if you truly believe we are helping you…I wouldn't assume so suddenly. The course of action I was referring to would completely decimate your planet. But, it would be the safest and surest way to prevent a mass outbreak of the Flood, and to give your people the mercy they deserve."

Samus noticed Sheik flinch at such a proposal. Rauru and the Princess held troubled looks on their faces. After a few minutes of silence, Rauru spoke.

"Your Highness," the advisor began, "We must consider this offer…as morbid as it sounds. You must consider that Hylia may be completely overrun by the Flood by now. You witnessed the rapid destruction first-hand. By now, there may be no hope…those images we saw on the hologram-"

"No!" Sheik, who had never uttered a word before, spoke aggressively. "The Princess would never willingly kill her people, when she knows that survivors remain…she has felt their pleas for rescue…for justice."

Rauru gave a look of anger toward the bodyguard. "It is not in your place to speak!" he rebutted.

Sheik's eyes lit up in rage. The warrior had a look of incredulity, at the way Rauru spoke to him. For what reason, Samus did not know.

The Princess broke the escalating tension in the room: "What Rauru has said may be true…but what my loyal bodyguard has openly acknowledged is concise. However," the Princess turned her face toward Sheik. "This matter we are discussing, the Flood, is not just a localized Hylian problem. It deals with the entire galaxy as a whole. Remember this, my sheikah warrior. I must speak with the 46th Leader about our meeting here today. Thank you, Cortana…for offering a possible resolution to this grave subject matter."

"Your welcome, Your Highness. Contact us accordingly, as soon as you have reached a decision with the 46th Leader and amongst your own counsel. Please consider this though: to sacrifice your planet, to go to such lengths to protect the galaxy and your own future…would dissolve any suspicions representatives may have of the Hylians," Cortana said, as she turned to Master Chief and nodded her head. He nodded in return, and pressed the same button again. The hologram vanished.

The mysterious and enigmatic Spartan 117 walked out of the room.

The Chozo leader then turned to the Hylian Princess. "You must go speak with Magnus, and soon. Before he and his advisors have made a plan."

She nodded her head, looked to Rauru, and the two stood up. As they walked towards the door, Rauru stopped Sheik, who was ready to follow them out, and told him to stay behind. The old man said they would seem less aggressive if a bodyguard was not present. Sheik reluctantly stopped, and watched the two as they exited the room and shut the door.

The Chozo leader then stood up. "Samus," he said. She stood up as he spoke. "I must go speak with Fox McCloud. He is still investigating in the Chozon Prime. I will need to hear of an update on the mission's status."

"Should I come along?" Samus asked.

"No, there will be no need. I want you to remain here, waiting for the Princess to return." And with that, the Chozo Leader left.

Samus sat down at the table. She watched as Sheik remained at the door, for some strange reason.

Snake, who had been sitting on a sectional against the wall, got up, moved over to the table, and sat down at the opposite end.

"Snake?" Samus turned to him and asked, "What were you going to tell me back there…before the assembly meeting, when Rauru interrupted us in the hall?"

"Hmmm…?" he said, as if she had woken him up from a daydream. "Oh, I, well…it doesn't matter now that I'm sticking around. I was just trying to make up an excuse for not spying on Wolf and Ganondorf for you."

"Right," Samus said, smiling. "I almost forgot I was speaking to _Snake_ back there."

"Hey…" he responded, pretending to be hurt. After their subtle flirtation, Samus noticed Sheik was no longer in the room.

"Where did Sheik go?" she asked Snake.

"Oh…probably out the door," he replied.

Samus rolled her eyes at his answer. "There's something strange about that guy. He gives off weird vibes," she said.

"Yeah, I've felt that too. Never mind his freakish jumping abilities I discovered while rescuing him and the Princess." Snake told Samus.

"Should we go follow him?" Samus asked. She got up towards the door, and opened it. Snake walked up to her and looked out the door. He moved his head to the right, then to the left.

"There!" he softly spoke, pointing to Sheik, who was walking down the hall.

As they followed Sheik, still in their cloaks and robes, they kept a distance between themselves and the bodyguard. They wanted to know what he was up to.

Further down the hall, beyond Sheik and headed toward their direction was the same group Samus and Snake had watched through the binoculars out on the balcony.

"Dammit!" Snake muttered. He grabbed Samus and pulled her to the outer wall. He pressed a button on the wall, and a hidden window revealed itself. The two pretended to be looking out it.

Samus watched from the corner of her eyes, as the group approached Sheik. All four of the people, save for the man in the gas mask, passed the bodyguard. The dark figure in the gas mask stopped in front of Sheik, preventing him from passing. Sheik tried to move around him, but the man held his arm out. The sheikah warrior bumped into it and stopped, giving the stranger a hostile stare.

"What's going on?" Snake whispered to Samus, as he had been watching the situation as well.

She shrugged as the encounter between Sheik and the gas mask man played out. The other four people, who had been accompanying the man, stopped and turned around.

"What is it, Mantis?" one of them asked. Samus could barely hear what was going on, but learned that the man in the gas mask was named Mantis.

Mantis's high, shrill voice spoke under the mask, "This one…hmmm…I feel it…something strange…possibly what we are…" he stopped. An intense stare down played out. "Never mind," he finally spoke. "…maybe later…"

Mantis walked forward, catching up with the rest of his entourage.

The group continued onwards, walking towards Snake and Samus. As the group passed, Snake seemed to sigh, as if he had held his breath.

"What was that all about?" Samus asked Snake.

Snake seemed to ignore her question. "That was definitely strange. I'm surprised we weren't snuffed out," he said.

"Huh?" Samus questioned.

"Mantis, the man in the gas mask. He's a psychic, a telepathic. Something about Sheik must've severely distracted him, or he would have sensed me," Snake explained.

"What is it about Sheik?" she thought aloud.

As she said that, Snake began walking towards Sheik. She followed him.

"Sheik!" Snake cried out.

The red-eyed man turned around, facing the two.

"Do you know those people? Have you ever met them before?" Snake began interrogating.

Sheik frowned at the questions Snake seemed to force upon him. He nodded his head slightly, and said, "No." His voice was very feminine…boyish even.

After that strange encounter, Samus began to feel like being out in the hall was a bad idea.

"We should go back to the room…I don't feel it is safe out here. Sheik, the Princess and your advisor, Rauru, will wonder where you are." Samus said to him.

But it seemed like Sheik had ignored her. The bodyguard turned around and began walking down the hall again.

"Hey!" Snake said, catching up to Sheik and turning him around.

"NO!" Sheik cried out, eyes wide. Snake let go of him, in surprise.

"We have to leave…now," the red-eyed enigma said.

"We can't…yet," Samus replied, walking up to him. As she looked at Sheik's eyes, the shape of them reminded her of Link. The blonde hair that hung over the warrior's face also did.

"…Link…" Samus said aloud quietly, not meaning to.

Sheik's eyes locked on Samus's as she mentioned his name. It was an intense gaze, but underneath it, Samus could feel the same sadness and uncertainty of Link's fate, that the two seemed to share in that moment.

"Sheik! Samus! Snake!"

Samus heard Rauru's voice calling out to them.

"We've talked with Magnus, and he is going to call in the assembly now. It seems that we might have finally reached a resolution!" the old man said, walking towards them.

Samus could only hope that whatever decision they had made, it would bring her one step closer to helping Link. The controversy of his disappearance seemed clouded by the issue of the Flood.

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**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! I'm very happy that many of you are enjoying this. The next update should be this upcoming Friday.**


	8. Chapter 8: Snake

**Part One**

**Chapter Eight: Snake**

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**Author's Note:** I wanted to make a quick statement about the crossover of Snake's story from Metal Gear. Because the Metal Gear series is a very involved and intricate storyline, I will only take from the incidents of Shadow Moses, just to keep it simple.

Also, this chapter is rated M because I promised one…at least one. Why is it rated M? There could be many reasons…unleash your imagination.

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They were all waiting in silence in the Chozo quarters. Snake noticed Rauru and the Princess were standing in the corner of the room, having a serious, private discussion. Snake wondered what the resolution was. Rauru had not told him specifically, although he had announced that one was made, back out in the hall.

Snake then turned his attention to Sheik. He was standing across the room from the Princess and Rauru, and his red eyes seemed to dart all around, nervously. Snake remembered how Sheik had openly called out in the hall, wanting to leave this place. It was as if he knew something horribly wrong was going to happen and desperately wanted to escape. This only seemed to add to Sheik's mysterious persona…but there was more to it…

Snake recalled how Mantis had approached the warrior out in the hall. He wondered why Mantis had approached him in such a manner. What was it about Sheik that had demanded such special attention? Snake was going to find out, and soon, he hoped. After the meeting, he was going to summon the warrior for a talk.

Moving on as he looked at everyone in the room, Snake saw Samus sitting at the desk, to the right of the Chozo Leader. She was sitting still, looking off into the distance, at nowhere in particular. It seemed like she was deep in thought, in another world.

Snake suddenly felt in irking feeling to go out and have another cigarette. He kept tapping his right index and middle finger on his right knee, in a frantic and nervous way, anticipating when they would finally leave and head to the meeting.

He was feeling especially anxious. It was probably because he had just seen Mantis and Ocelot. But that wasn't all. As the group had passed him and Samus out in the hall previously, he had gotten a better look at the rest of the gang, and made more grueling discoveries. Not only did it seem like Snake would have to deal with Mantis and Ocelot again, but there was Sniper Wolf…

Snake had remembered how she and him had fought in the Alaskan tundra, outside of the Shadow Moses base. Although she was a patient and skilled marksman, Snake was still able to best her. As she lay bleeding in the snow, Snake remembered approaching the injured FOXHOUND member.

"She had died that day…" Snake tried to convince himself, muttering aloud, "I put the handkerchief over her cold, lifeless body, as she took her last breath." Recalling how she had asked for mercy. And he did, through the barrel of his 9 mm.

In addition to Sniper Wolf, Snake had noticed an even graver discovery…Liquid Snake. He was the blonde clone from the Les Enfants Terribles project that Snake had also been created from. Technically, the two were twin brothers, having both been born of the same genetic DNA from the Big Boss.

But Liquid had also been killed at Shadow Moses. The FOXDIE virus had eliminated him…

And the final person, of the group of five, was the deformed man known as Decoy Octopus. His hairline was shaved back. The skin on the front of his nose had been cut off, along with the tips of his ears. Snake also had seen, in a split second as the man moved by, the oddly shaped cheekbones that looked to have been carved down on the bone. It was necessary, Snake had remembered. The man was used as a decoy, and his features had been sacrificed so he could disguise himself better.

But even Decoy Octopus had died…having accidentally been exposed to the FOXDIE virus.

He was certain that all of those people, save Ocelot, had been killed.

What could possibly explain their present existence?

"It's time," Rauru broke the silence, pulling Snake out of his train of thought. "We must head over to our designated platform and appear before the assembly. Magnus will then speak of our resolution. Let's hope we'll all be heading out of here afterwards."

Rauru and the Princess began moving out. Sheik hurriedly followed them out. Then Samus stood up, as the Chozo Leader exited by himself. She turned to Snake.

"Let's get going," the bounty hunter said.

"Wait," Snake hastily said, "How can you be sure we'll not get arrested at the meeting? How do you know Wolf won't have something planned…?"

Samus stopped to study him with her eyes. "I don't," she said, as she walked out of the room. There seemed to be an air of determination in her voice. As if she had been waiting a long time for this moment.

Snake went to follow her out. He wondered what was attaching her so tightly to this Hylian conflict. Could it really just be Link? The delegate that she was resolute in rescuing…if he even had been kidnapped as Samus had claimed. Or was it the Space Pirate Confederation's involvement in this matter…?

Snake's IQ of 180 couldn't even figure it out.

As they all caught up in the hall, and proceeded to step out onto their platform, Snake looked out into the assembly dome. He wondered what the delegates were thinking. Were they out to support Wolf? It had seemed after the first meeting he had attended, that many were on the Lylat's side. Or could they grasp and rally around whatever Magnus's resolution would be? Snake had a sour feeling that things were not going to turn out as he would like them to. He could tell that Wolf had many a representative wrapped around his finger. It would be hard to not see the Lylat put up a fight, or even present more fixed evidence.

Snake sighed as he rearranged the hood that draped over his face. They had all remained in disguises, save the Princess who no longer needed it after revealing herself at the first meeting. He turned his head towards Samus, who was next to him again, behind Rauru. Her expression remained that of determination. There was maybe even an addition of anger to her look. Sometimes she just held such a look, whether she meant to or not. After all, she was a woman of fierce resolve, he had learned.

The hall rang with chatter, as they all awaited Magnus's appearance. Snake could see Wolf resting upon his chair on his platform. The beast's arms were crossed and he looked out to everyone, darting his red eyes from delegate to delegate, as if reading them for clues…

Finally, the center platform began to descend. Magnus was making his entrance. The dome fell silent as he did. Many, it seemed, were just as anxious to hear of the news awaiting them. This matter involved everyone, not just the Hylians.

There was a long pause before Magnus spoke. He waited for about two minutes, as he fixed his garment, brushed his hair back, cleared his voice, etc. The body language either suggested complacency or nervousness. Probably the latter.

Finally, he spoke:

"During our four hour intercession, following our last meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with the Hylian Princess. Her and her advisor had taken the time, after reviewing counsel amongst themselves, to address the issue of the Flood with me."

"The Princess has maintained her innocence in regards to the previous accusations brought upon her, Representative Link, and her people, in accordance to their supposed involvement with the Space Pirate Confederation and the Flood."

He paused once again, straightening the collar on his garb.

"She has pledged that the planet of Hylia will authorize any course of action presented by the League in eradicating this threat."

There was a rise in discussion between delegates after Magnus made that announcement. Such submission to the League would negate any of the Hylian's guilt, and Wolf's well prepared allegations would be fruitless.

Sheik, who was standing in front of Snake, began to look all around the dome. Snake began to consider whether the bodyguard would make another escape from the stage, just as he had done last time. But Snake had forced himself to stand behind the warrior, just to anticipate such a move.

As Snake mused on that thought, Magnus continued speaking.

"Therefore, I deem any imprisonment on the Hylian's behalf would be a shortsighted decision and self-defeating if we all hope to cooperate to preserve…" Magnus now had to raise his voice as many representatives were openly yelling against the 46th Leader's judgment in cooperating with the Hylians. Snake knew then, that many were under Wolf's thumb.

With an almost thunderous voice, Magnus continued, "…it would be detrimental if we are to preserve the peace and order in this galaxy!"

"Peace and order?" Snake chuckled sardonically, as Magnus had said such an ironic statement at that moment. The League was currently overrun by _chaotic_ chatter. It also was a rather cliché pairing of words. An overuse of a concept that no living person could uphold or create. Such was the nature of the universe.

As Magnus finished, his voice echoed in the dome. It was almost not loud enough, as the entire League pounded with speech and discourse.

"They couldn't all be against us…" Snake thought. He moved his head to the right, to see beyond Sheik. Not all were yelling against Magnus. Many representatives were openly yelling at each other. The support and disapproval seemed split amongst the delegates.

As the 46th Leader worked hard to once again silence the room, Snake searched for Wolf to see his reaction. The Lylat was giving an obvious look of dissatisfaction. The word itself seemed too benign to even describe Wolf's expression, Snake thought.

Then he watched as Wolf's frown turned to Ganondorf, who was several platforms away. Following his line of sight, Snake saw Ganondorf acknowledge Wolf's stare. The delegate from Planet Twilight nodded his head as the two looked upon each other.

Snake looked back to Wolf and noticed the delegate was fiddling with something on his wrist. A communicator…? Wolf seemed to be acting nonchalant about it, but something seemed amiss to Snake.

However, he was immediately distracted by Magnus, who had regained enough silence to speak again.

"We must move on from any ill-conceived notions many of you may have against the Hylians. A greater threat looms on the horizon. One that threatens to obliterate all life known to the galaxy. We must cooperate under this pretense, or life shall fall amidst fear and hatred of one another. Fear and hatred that only such evil as the Flood intends to spawn between man and beast and alien."

"Acknowledge this, and the struggle is clear, our allies are clear, our enemy is clear. We must-" but before Magnus could get in another word, there was a whiz and popping sound.

In what appeared to be only seconds, Magnus's head was thrown backwards. Blood sprayed like an explosion from the back of his head, falling onto the ground behind his body. His face was fixated in a simple, casual expression, as he was just in the middle of speaking. As his head snapped backwards, Snake could see a bullet wound right between his eyes.

An amazing shot, but where did it come from?

Snake watched in disgust, as the body tipped back with blood spurting from a crater on the back of Magnus's head.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, as Snake, Samus, Sheik, Rauru, and the Princess began to drop themselves to the ground. Other delegates were doing the same, while many representatives started to run off of their platforms, risking being shot by another bullet, if they were targeted.

Screaming, crying, and shouting rang out.

Another whiz and pop could be heard. It came only a second after Magnus had been shot.

Snake hadn't even landed his knees to the floor, as he heard the second shot. Blood sprayed across his right arm. Sheik and Rauru had gotten the brunt of the red liquid doused on them.

The Princess had been shot.

As Snake was about to finally hit the ground, he watched as Rauru lunged toward Sheik, tackling the bodyguard.

There was nothing that could be done for the Princess. The Princess stumbled backwards. Becoming limp, the body shook on impact from crashing to the ground. Snake could hear Samus crying out in disbelief. Sheik could be heard as well, but Rauru had smothered him in such a manner, that only muffled sounds escaped. The warrior's arm was the only body part that could be seen under Rauru. It struggled against the old man's force, attempting to reach out to the Princess.

Then Snake's mind flashed back to the moment when he and Samus were standing out in the hall, as Ocelot and his group passed by. Someone in that group had done this. Only one person could have such accuracy in a matter of a few seconds…

While everyone held themselves to the ground, Snake whipped himself upwards, in the direction that the bullet had flown. And there, where his head had suddenly stopped, he could see it.

His eyes locked onto the crosshair of Sniper Wolf's rifle.

He saw in a split second, as her rifle recoiled. She had fired another bullet. He threw his body backwards, onto the ground, as the bullet whizzed over him, planting itself into the wall beyond him.

Turning over and rolling back onto his knees, he watched as Samus looked up at him. Her eyes were wide and she looked frazzled. She then turned to the ground and began to crawl towards the Princess.

Snake swiftly made up his mind on what to do. He decided to leave Rauru and Sheik to Samus. Running forward, he leapt off the platform. As he did, he could hear Samus yelling out to him.

Too late though…

As he flew in the air, aiming for the next platform, his right arm extended outwards and missed. Throwing his left arm forward at the last possible moment, he clutched the edge. Snake hastily pulled himself up as another bullet narrowly flew by. It missed him by about a millimeter, he could estimate. The passing of the bullet could be felt behind his right calf.

He lunged himself onto the middle of the platform, and jumped again. He was going to try and confront Sniper Wolf, and reaching her meant leaping from one stage to the next.

As he tumbled onto a new platform below, he looked around for Sniper Wolf. It was hard to see, as many delegates were still rushing off platforms, or huddling on them, attempting to hide from the chaos.

He finally spotted the sniper. She was rushing across platforms in his direction as well. Her light blonde hair flowing behind her, her figure clad in a skin tight black jumpsuit.

Quickly, Snake stood up again and jumped onto another stage, as Sniper Wolf and he began to close in on each other.

As he cleared another platform, there was still a representative on it, crouching down. When Snake fell into the person, the man screamed in fright, jumped up and hurried off the stage. A bullet flew by, nearly hitting the delegate. It had come from a platform very nearby.

Snake got to his feet to proceed onwards, and as he lifted his head, the bottom of a dark boot came crashing down onto his face. He fell backwards onto the platform.

His face was burning from the force of the impact, and he knew it had to be her. He opened his eyes only to see the butt of Sniper Wolf's rifle rushing towards his face.

Snake rolled over and leapt to his feet, missing her attack. He quickly pulled of his robe, and grabbed his gun from the holster on his thigh. His left hand reached for his knife, and he held the two together, pointed in Sniper Wolf's direction.

"I killed you!" he growled. "Two years ago, at Shadow Moses! Just-who are you?" he stammered out, in disbelief that the woman standing before him could truly be Sniper Wolf.

She rested her rifle calmly at her side, as her other hand brushed her hair back.

"I'm who they call Sniper Wolf…" she said, with an air of arrogance. A slightly curious look anchored her expression.

"You begged for mercy out in the snow…and I gave it to you…that handkerchief!" he angrily snarled, resting his gaze upon the aforementioned article of fabric that was tied around her arm.

"I…I put that over your dead face," he told her, resuming a fierce stare on her eyes. When he said that, he recalled the memory in his mind.

She was lying, bleeding in the snow. Asking for mercy, Snake had shot her, giving her the final blow. But before he did, he had told her as she was crying, (upon realizing what a pawn FOXHOUND had made her into) that she would no longer have to shed a tear. Putting the handkerchief on her face was a gesture that had symbolized his words.

Sniper Wolf cocked her head to the side. The curious look became more evident upon her face.

"They didn't tell me that…" She narrowed her eyes, seemingly lost in a thought. Something in her actions suggested to Snake that he had reminded her of something that she couldn't quite remember.

"It's not true! I don't remember that…!" her tone became very irate, almost childishly angry.

She lunged towards him, knocking him backwards. Snake hadn't expected such a quick move. Stumbling towards the edge of the platform, he began to lose his balance. She continued to force him back, all the while grunting in fury.

As his upper body was leaning over the railing, he dropped his gun and knife, trying to regain composure. But she only shoved him harder when he disarmed himself.

"Ackkk!" was the only sound that was forced out of his lungs as she gave the final push. Snake had completely lost his balance, and was beginning to fall. In his final efforts, he reached his right arm out to grab onto her, or anything that lay in its path. His other arm fumbled for a small gadget in his gear.

As his right arm missed, his left arm flung forward and latched onto Sniper Wolf's shoulder. However, the grip wasn't strong enough. But that wasn't the point. Snake had given up on trying to stop his fall, and instead planted a tracking device onto her. After it was attached, he completely released himself back, descending to a platform below.

The last thing he remembered was the sound of himself yelling uncontrollably with all the adrenaline in his body flowing, as the platform with Sniper Wolf on board became smaller and smaller.

Then, complete darkness.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Snake…" a voice called out in the dark.

"Snake, get yourself up….slowly now," it sounded familiar. But what was this? A dream? A last minute vision or hallucination before death?

"You're waking up now, just take it easy," the voice said.

"Samus…" Snake thought. Or was that a thought? Things were happening, but nothing seemed to connect in his mind…if this even was his mind.

Out of the darkness came a blinding white light. Surely, this was what one could only experience once: dying. But the white light began to take forms. A familiar shape was hovering above him. It was Samus, for sure.

As his mind began to process thoughts clearer, Snake finally resolved on the notion that he was alive. He was merely waking up from unconsciousness.

And now he could feel sensations. First it was pain, then the touch of someone's hand. Then he remembered that he had a physical self, and it was lying down on the ground in incredible pain. Snake allowed himself a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light.

When he began to see things more clearly, the structure of the room was taking form. It was the private quarter to the Chozo. "The Chozo…the League…" he thought. He couldn't quite recall what he was doing here.

Out of the blue, a single memory flooded his mind.

"Sniper Wolf!" he said aloud, forcing himself to an upright position.

Samus's arms reached out to him, slowly moving him back to the ground.

"Calm down, I'll get you out of here soon. You need medical attention," she said, looking over his body with her eyes.

"The Princess…" he blurted out.

"…is dead," Samus finished. Her voice was soft, yet distinctly sad.

As she said that, Snake at last remembered everything. Drawing a deep breath, his head laid upon the ground.

The world turned dark again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When he re-awoke, Snake was in a bright white room. But it wasn't because his eyes hadn't adjusted to the light; he realized he was in a hospital.

Snake hated hospitals. Although the morphine that was administered to him had relinquished him of the pain he had felt previously, he could not stand being in such a place. From the smells of sick people, to the poking and prodding of nurses and doctors, Snake felt like these institutions were a waste of time and money. To him, they only preserved the dying for an ungodly amount of unnecessary time.

Perhaps now they were doing the same to him. Checking himself, Snake realized that he wasn't too badly hurt. His head was bandaged up, and he could feel an itching sensation from sutures that were embedded on the crown of his skull. Other than that, there didn't seem to be a big problem.

At this realization, he began to detach himself from the machines and pull out his IV. As he did, a person walked in.

"I knew you would do this," Samus said to him, walking over to his bed. "You've been out for two days. Your exhausted…it's not just the blow you took to the head…" she explained.

"I'm fine," he reassured her, grimacing as the IV needle came out of his arm.

Samus, instead of fighting him as he would have expected, just sat down at a chair to the side of the room. Her expression looked weary and melancholy. A mixture of someone who hasn't slept for several days and then had just been told the news of a death in the family.

"What has happened since?" Snake asked her.

"Nothing…nothing at the League, anyway," she replied, sighing. "It's been prorogued since the assassination. Today, the ceremonial funeral for Magnus…and for the Hylian Princess will commence."

"Hmm…" he grumbled. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll be heading to the funeral soon. I haven't spoken to Rauru or Sheik since the incident, and I wanted to say a few last words before I finally leave." The way Samus spoke suggested a feeling of defeat. That moment she had been so determined for, the meeting that had taken place at the League two days ago, had been ruined by the assassinations. Her plans for rescuing Link seemed miles away now.

"I'll come with you," Snake remarked, lifting himself from the bed. There was unfinished business between him and Sheik.

After Snake got up, he paused, waiting for Samus to deny him, but once again, she proved him wrong.

As she stood up, Samus nodded to Snake, took something out from a sack she had brought with her, and laid the items on a table nearby. It was Snake's knife and gun.

"I'll be outside," she said, leaving the room.

Snake lumbered over to his clothing, exchanging his bare-back hospital gown for his one-piece camouflage suit, and the brown-burgundy robe. Standing up made him feel slightly nauseous, and the pain returned to his head.

Nevertheless, he finished clothing himself and left the room to join Samus. Without checking in at the counter or confronting a physician, the two departed from the hospital, and hailed a public transport.

Snake and Samus exchanged no words during their ride to the funeral. Snake had wanted to ask more questions, but he felt too tired. That, coupled with the way Samus was behaving, stopped him. He could feel a sense of pity for Samus. She had worked so hard to help the Hylians. From risking her life by constantly running through the blockade, to even asking aid from someone she seemed to have regretted having a relationship with, Samus had to overcome much. Pondering on this, Snake watched from out the window as other small transport vehicles whizzed by.

Feeling a sudden and unexpected inclination to comfort Samus, Snake extended his hand out, to touch Samus's, which was resting at her side on the seat. As his hand moved in, she lifted hers, bringing it into her lap. Quickly retracting his hand, Snake looked back out the window, wondering if she had meant to do that or if his timing was just off.

Whatever was the case, he knew he shouldn't have done that. They were done with. He shouldn't try and play with her.

"…Idiot…" he thought to himself. Now he wanted nothing more than to smoke a cigarette and ease his mind off of that embarrassing moment. Unfortunately, the sign above the driver read, "No smoking," so he was out of luck.

He grumbled unhappily to himself, and fiddled with the sutures that were on his head.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Finally, the vehicle stopped. They had arrived onto a great, wide street. It was filled with people lining each side. The funeral had already begun.

The road was a seemingly old one, as it was covered in cobblestones. It appeared that it hadn't been in use for traveling, but rather for festivals or solemn occasions like this one, considering its ancient architecture.

Samus led the way, as she and him moved onto one side of the crowd. People and aliens of all shapes and sizes were there. Some appeared to be in mourning attire, which varied as greatly as the species that were in attendance. Others were dressed casually, just wanting to quickly pay their respects to two people that had been taken down, so suddenly.

Snake could see Magnus, as he laid on a ceremonial stretcher, decorated to the level of grandeur one wouldn't initially expect to be at a funeral. But he was the former 46th leader, after all. As Snake observed Magnus's body, he could see how it was pale and the flesh seemed dry as it draped back against his muscles and bones. Whoever had cleaned him up, had done a pretty good job of hiding the entrance wound, but as for the massive hole on the back...it was cleverly hidden against a pillow.

A strange creature was pulling the body's stretcher, one that Snake couldn't ascertain where it heralded from. Many of his advisors lined the sides of the casket. Behind them all, was a long line of delegates…including Wolf and Ganondorf.

Seeing them only embittered the moment. Snake remembered how the two had looked at each other before the shots were fired. Could they be working with Ocelot and the others? If this was so, this deceit and treachery on behalf of the two delegates would be graver than Snake had even expected…

Once Magnus and his entourage passed by and proceeded towards a stone flight of stairs that were situated down the path, where a white marble veranda with a burning pyre awaited, the Hylian procession moved into view.

As the casket approached, Snake averted his gaze from the body, simply not wanting to see the Princess's corpse. Instead, he looked down upon a peculiar symbol that was on the front of the casket that he had seen before on the Princess. It was a golden triangle, with a cut-out of the same shape in the center. He wondered why this symbol was prevalent with the Hylians.

Behind the body of the Princess laying in a casket that was filled with flowers, Snake saw two dark figures walking.

It was Rauru and Sheik, in black robes now. Rauru held his head up high, looking at the ground. Sheik was slumped slightly, with his head visibly looking down. Snake felt a twang of sorrow for the bodyguard. He had failed to protect the Princess. It reminded Snake of when he had failed to protect Meryl, when Sniper Wolf had shot her back at Shadow Moses, to capture her…

Beyond Sheik and Rauru were only a small group of delegates, including the Chozo Leader and Spartan 117.

As Snake looked down the street, he pulled his robe tighter around him. The day was overcast and cold.

Moving his head around, he noticed some discord in the crowd. Somebody was pushing and shoving others aside, and the person was coming closer to Samus and Snake.

It was a man, Snake could now see, with blue hair and blue eyes, a dark headband wrapped above his forehead, much like his own. The person was wearing a red cape.

The man carried a fierce and determined look on his face, and he was closely watching the Hylian procession. Snake wondered why this man was so interested that he had to push others out of his way, especially at a funeral.

Out of the silence, a great bang could be heard. Snake, not expecting it, flinched and looked to the direction of the sound. But it was nothing to be worried about. A man, standing under the white veranda, was hitting a great big gong, signaling the arrival of Magnus's body onto the pyre.

The man hit the gong again.

Ignoring it, Snake looked again into the crowd for the blue-haired man, but could not find him at all. The man, along with the Hylian entourage, had already passed by Snake and Samus, moving down the cobblestone street.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


	9. Chapter 9: Sheik

**Part One**

**Chapter Nine: Sheik**

Standing behind Rauru in the Chozo quarters, as he thanked the Leader, Sheik remembered the funeral that had finished about an hour ago.

- - - - -

As her and Rauru had walked behind the casket, her thoughts were lost during the entire procession. She had to hang her head down, lest others look upon her distraught and tearful face. In her persona of Sheik, it was easier to calm her emotions, to choke back most external expressions, but the death of Nabooru was overwhelming. Nothing could contain the burning and free-flowing tears that scrolled down her cheeks.

Climbing up the white marble steps to reach the veranda was almost too painful. Every step Sheik took felt like dragging a sack of bricks tied to one's ankle, for she knew where it ultimately led.

Although Sheik had been taught by all her advisors, especially Rauru and Impa, about the nature of death, and how becoming attached to people was adverse to the path of wisdom and enlightenment, she seemed to have lost all notion of the teachings, and was consumed by the events. As the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, it was her duty to remain on the path towards true knowledge and understanding, but now she actually had to experience what it meant to lose greatly, and the consequences of straying from the inner truth.

Once they had reached the pyre, the heat of the fires almost gave Sheik a fever. Magnus's body had become a simple, human outline of ashes, as there was relatively no wind blowing. The sight of the ashes made Sheik want to retch, but if she failed at that moment, she definitely would lose it as Nabooru was put to the flames.

Deciding to close her eyes rather than watch, Sheik tried to remember the chants that Impa had taught her. She repeated them over and over, again and again in her mind, as the smell of burning flesh worked its way up into her nasal passages.

The chants became ever louder in her thoughts, as sweat trickled down her forehead, and the scent of death lay stagnant under the marble structure.

- - -

Still wearing their black mourning robes, the Chozo Leader accepted Rauru's thanks, and the old man's wish to stay a few days longer. It would give the two remaining Hylians time to decide on what they would ultimately do.

Rauru then thanked Snake and Samus for their help in bringing them to the League.

Sheik considered whether to give thanks as well, but she figured it would just eat up what little remaining time they had. Now that Nabooru was dead, there seemed little hope for Hylia…unless…

"Hold on," Samus, who had been standing to the side of the Chozo Leader the entire time, stopped the Hylians as they proceeded to exit.

Sheik and Rauru stopped. Sheik noticed also, as Snake stood to attention from his former seat against the wall, as Samus spoke up.

"I just…wanted to apologize and give my condolences for all that has happened. It was my greatest hope to see Link again, and in good health. I've worried just as much as either of you about his safety, and now I fear that little can be done here at the League."

Samus paused.

"I'm going back to the Chozon Prime, to continue the investigations with Fox McCloud. Perhaps I can uncover some evidence that would absolve Link of any guilt that some may still judge him with…Rauru…Sheik…" she bowed her head slightly, as if she came to a loss of words.

Finally she spoke again: "I'm sorry…I cannot help you here anymore…" Samus frowned as she spoke those words. Sheik could tell that she didn't want to leave, but there seemed little else for the bounty hunter to do here.

But Sheik didn't want her to go. Something from within pulled her towards this new impulsive thought.

"I must leave as well," Snake put in, filling in the silence that Samus had created. "I have some…private investigations I must take part in…"

Sheik wondered what Snake meant by 'private investigation'. Could it be something important? Perhaps Snake uncovered something that she should know, but was withholding? He was quite an odd character to her. He seemed completely on his own track, and did what he wanted, on his own accord. But something in the way he fumbled with his words made Sheik all the more curious about him.

And in her curiosity, she realized she didn't want Snake to leave either.

After Rauru exchanged a few last words between Snake and Samus, he turned himself around and headed towards the door. However, Sheik remained where she stood. She suddenly felt at a loss of what to do. How could she and Rauru possible do anything for her people, for Link, if their closest and few remaining allies left them?

There seemed little hope…

"No…" Sheik told them, stepping forward slightly. Snake and Samus reacted with inquisitive glances.

Sheik heard Rauru turn around. She could almost feel his stern gaze resting upon the back of her head, as if he knew what she was going to do.

"Don't…" he softly spoke to her.

"You mustn't leave us!" Sheik spoke now with an ever more desperate tone. She took another step forward. Samus and Snake held stronger, more confused expressions upon their faces.

"Sheik…" an increasingly impatient Rauru muttered.

But Sheik ignored him. She took off her robe and stood before everyone only in her traditional dark blue warrior uniform.

"Please don't…you mustn't…" Rauru still persisted.

"I can not, will not, lose any more support," Sheik said, as she raised her right hand in the air.

The Triforce symbol glowed brightly on the back of her hand. The white light began to increase to a blinding radiance. Just before it completely engulfed the room, she noticed as Snake and Samus covered their faces, and as the Chozo Leader turned his head.

Once it dissipated, the true Princess of Hylia, Zelda, stood before them. She looked on at the startled and perplexed faces that met hers. There was a long moment of silence as the three stared in awe…for not many had ever seen the Hylian Princess. And to actually see her in her true form, and not someone else disguised as her, was a startling shock. Her beauty, her elegance, and the underlying power she possessed, could be felt by all wholeheartedly.

"Who…are you?" Samus finally let out.

"I am Princess Zelda of Planet Hylia. I apologize for this deception that I and my advisor had planned. It was merely for security reasons…that we had discovered two days ago were necessary," as she said that, she closed her eyes and slightly bowed her head, remembering the death of Nabooru.

When she looked up again, her eyes met the wide eyed gaze that both Samus and Snake continued towards her.

"Please…" Zelda brought herself to one knee and bowed her head again. "I ask you, I beg you two to remain here with us. My people count on all the help we can get. If you were both to leave us…then…the fate of Hylia, the fate of the galaxy will be compromised. The disappearance of Representative Link will go by, without justice."

As she finished that line, Zelda locked her eyes with Samus's. It was evident, as expressed by Samus previously, that she cared much for Link.

The bounty hunter averted her gaze as the attention was put on her.

"Wolf and Ganondorf will, at length, achieve whatever their sinister plans are." Zelda continued. "I need your support."

When she was done, there was nothing but silence. Zelda was still on one knee, with her head now down. She could only wonder why nobody was responding. Did they not believe she was truly Zelda? Were they upset that she had manipulated them so?

Rauru walked up to her, telling her to stand and lift herself from her knee. She hesitated on doing so. Zelda was trying hard to appear humble before them. She felt like her actions didn't do justice to the true humility she felt within. She lifted her head, but no more.

Her eyes rested upon Snake's face. The man didn't avert his reciprocated stare, but he frowned slightly and looked as though he was going to say something, but then remained speechless.

"Your Highness," the Chozo Leader began, "How are we to help you, now that the entire galaxy believes you to be dead? It will be hard to get any more support than what little we can provide, if the delegates were to learn of this trickery."

"Trickery…" Zelda thought to herself. She had hoped that's not what the Chozo Leader, Snake, or Samus felt about what she had done.

"With the death of Magnus," the bird-like creature continued, "it will be near impossible to fix this crisis. We can only hope that the UNSC or Magnus's remaining council members will vouch for your Planet, and offer their support."

"Unless we can uncover proof of Wolf and Ganondorf's treason," Zelda explained, standing back onto her two feet. "They have been at the root of all of our problems. I know they are behind all of this…"

"Princess Zelda," Samus began.

"Please, just call me Zelda," the Princess said.

Samus nodded her head and continued, "I share your belief in Wolf and Ganondorf's treason. If I may…I could still return to the Chozon Prime. I heave heard Wolf has done so himself. After all, he is still a part of the investigations going on there. I could try and dig up some proof."

Zelda's eyes widened with hope at Samus's proposal. Although it was pretty much the same to what the bounty hunter had originally planned, Zelda was satisfied that it now directly linked her in the cause.

A new plan seemed to be coming together.

"Zelda, I suggest we come up with some plan for what you shall do," Rauru said. "I fear that the reason Nabooru, our decoy princess, was assassinated was because someone knew she was not the real one. I wouldn't know how to explain this idea, or tell you who could have found out, but there are not very many other justifications for Nabooru's murder."

Zelda rued on this notion. She hadn't really given much speculation as to why Nabooru was specifically targeted. But then it began to make sense. Previous to going to the assembly, Zelda, under the disguise of Sheik, had been approached by a strange man in a gas mask.

She remembered how he had stopped her from passing him. Zelda had felt a strange feeling come over her as the man's eyes watched her beyond the black tint of the mask. The man had said something bizarre about her to his entourage, but she had no idea of what it meant.

The most outlandish aspect of their confrontation was how Zelda could feel the man probing her thoughts. As a semi-psychic herself, she could feel him dissecting her. However, the disguised princess was able to stop him from being too intrusive, and that's when he walked away.

If that man had discovered her true identity, then…

"You're right, Rauru. I'll have to leave the League for the time being…until Samus can find some evidence." Zelda told him. She didn't know what she would do, or where to go, but it had to be done.

Samus walked around from behind the table and approached the princess.

"You can come with me," Samus proposed. "You can…um…disguise yourself again. As a bounty hunter, I've learned of the places where drifters and nobody's can remain anonymous in this galaxy. I could drop you off at one of these places, until the time comes for your return, Zelda."

"Hmm…" Zelda considered Samus's idea. She didn't want to stray too far from the League, but if that man in the gas mask had really been able to read her mind and discover her true identity, it just wouldn't be safe here anymore.

"Okay. I'll come along," the princess finally agreed. Zelda turned herself to Rauru.

"You must stay behind here, and keep us informed on the developments concerning what will happen now in Magnus's absence," she explained.

The old man nodded his head. "Right. I'll also keep a tab on Ganondorf's business here. It would help to find some direct proof of his involvement."

Zelda then turned back to Samus, the Chozo Leader, and Snake. It had seemed like the plan was set.

As they all stood in silence in the room, as the conversation had ended, there came an unexpected knock at the door.

They all snapped their heads toward the door in reaction.

"We're not expecting anyone, are we?" Samus asked the Chozo Leader. He nodded his head from left to right, motioning a 'no.'

While they all hesitated, Rauru moved in front of Zelda. Then Samus and Snake, in unison, each walked to the door waiting at opposite ends. Samus readied her paralyzer, while Snake pulled out his 9 mm.

The two inched forward at the sides of the door. Samus looked to the Chozo, and then hit a button. The door opened.

In walked a man with blue hair and blue eyes, a dark headband wrapped around his forehead, a large sword at his side, and a flowing red cape.

Acting instantly, Samus snapped her plasma whip around. It caught onto the man's sword, yanking it from his possession and throwing it to the ground. Snake quickly moved in from behind the stranger, grabbing him and twisting him into a choke hold.

This man looked familiar to Zelda…

"Ike?!" she blurted out. Her blue, almost violet eyes narrowed as she stepped forward towards him.

"Zelda!" the man known as Ike muttered, gasping from Snake's hold. "It's true…that wasn't you…I knew it."

"It's okay Samus, Snake. I know this man," she said.

- - - -

It was entirely true. Zelda had known Ike for a long time. The two went back to her childhood, when she was only about 14 years old…

When Zelda was very young, Rauru was her trainer in the arts of magic, and the two practiced out in the royal training grounds, near the weapon's depot. They usually trained in privacy. But then one day, Zelda had seen a young man, almost her age, hiding behind a barrel and watching her. He quickly ran away before she could catch him. The young princess had never seen him before.

Then, a week later, she was off on her own around the castle. When she was, Zelda liked to people watch, when not reading or studying in her bedroom. She often found herself observing the guards in their sword and archery training…a little jealous herself that she couldn't take part because she was a girl.

And there, training with a captain of the Hyrule royal guard was the blue-haired boy. The older captain was sparring intensely with the young lass. Once they were done, Zelda approached him, wanting to know just who he was.

Ike had said that he was from Planet Tellius, in the Fire Realm. His father Greil, a mercenary, had gathered enough money to give his only son some proper sword training. Knowing that Hylia had some of the best sword masters, Ike was sent there.

Wanting to learn sword techniques herself, the two developed a close friendship, as Ike taught her everything he was learning. At first, he thought she would be hopeless, but after several weeks, she came into the role.

And then, one year later, tragedy struck. Ike had received news of his mother's death. The blue-haired boy wanted to desperately return home, but his father protested, wanting Ike to get all the training he could. After that, his personality transformed into that of a dark and brooding character.

In his misery, Zelda and Ike no longer practiced sword fighting together. But she was persistent, and couldn't let her friend sink into a lingering depression. The comfort and hope that Zelda gave him soon turned into a young and budding romance. It didn't progress into anything serious, as Ike was eventually called back to Tellius to join up with his father's mercenary team. But, the love and kindness she gave definitely made an impact.

It was several years before Ike could return to Hylia, as he became embroiled in a Crimean-Daein War back on Tellius. But when he finally did, there was somebody new at Zelda's side. A young, blonde man named Link. And there was something strange about Zelda. She seemed…different to Ike. She didn't act so casual around him anymore, as if she had forgotten their former romance. But that did not justly explain the situation. Zelda had simply grown up during the years that they were apart, and had experienced firsthand, the struggles in protecting her people from the evil in the world.

And in her struggles came the aid of the holder of the Triforce of Courage, Link. Zelda could feel the tensions between Link and Ike, even though she had strictly platonic feelings for the two.

One day, as Link and Ike were practicing in the training grounds, Ike took it upon himself, in his own frustrations, to vent on Link. Plus, he had presumed that there was something going on between the princess and the young man. Their sparring quickly turned into a full blown fight, and Ike had seriously injured Link. When Zelda had learned of this, she was infuriated at him.

Even though the two had reconciled, their relationship was never the same. Zelda had felt like she had lost her trust in him.

- - - -

Snake reluctantly let go of Ike and backed off. Although he put his gun back in the holster, he held his arm above it, ready to go again.

"Ike…" Zelda continued. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard of your assassination," he explained, rubbing his neck and straightening himself up. "I didn't want to believe it…I couldn't…so I came to see for myself. At the funeral, I saw a woman lying in a Hylian casket. But she wasn't you…I could tell."

"But there's a war going on! Your planet, Tellius, is at odds with Altea! Why aren't you with your people?" she asked, remembering how the conflict between the two planets had been raging for almost a year now.

"I'm entirely aware of what has been going on, Zelda. But, as I am sure you know, I am just a mercenary and cannot do anything that royalty such as yourself can do in times of war. Besides, it's the dragon, beast, and bird people…known as the laguz on Tellius, that have been stirring the paths to war," Ike went on.

"For reasons I do not know…" he said, looking down. "I thought we had created peace after the Crimean-Daein War, but it appears that radical factions within these laguz tribes are propagating war."

"You still haven't answered my question," Zelda persisted.

Ike looked up at her with his blue eyes. Even though they were a cold-tone, something burned strongly behind them, in the darkness of his pupils. Zelda had recalled how his father had been murdered during the Crimean-Daein War. Perhaps that was where the fire originated from.

"My mercenary team and I had been hired by opponents of the war, to investigate these radical factions. What we discovered might be of interest to you," he told her. "I took this picture while out scouting," he finished, handing her a picture.

As she unfolded it, there was an image that she hadn't seen in a while. It was one that made her stomach sink.

"Ganon…?" she nearly whispered. There, on the photo, was a dark boar-like beast, with a large purple scar on its belly.

"It is known only by a few Hylians that Ganondorf has a beast form called Ganon. But why is he on Tellius?" she said aloud.

"I thought you would recognize the creature. When we were younger, you told me you had visions of such a beast-" Ike was cut off.

"Yes," Zelda abruptly remarked, not wanting to discuss their past.

"Zelda," Ike said. "This beast has been spotted with these radical laguz factions. It could be that…."

"…Ganondorf is manipulating the war between Tellius and Altea, by shifting into his beast form," Zelda quickly concluded. But why would Ganondorf be doing that? The wars have caused nothing but trouble in the League…

"…trouble in the League…!" she repeated her thoughts aloud, with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Ike asked.

"I have a growing suspicion that Ganondorf may have ulterior motives, if he actually _has_ been helping to create this war," she said.

"But that's it. We don't know for sure yet that he is even working with these radical factions," Ike told her. "And this is another reason why I came here. I wanted to let the Hylians know of this situation, but since I see that you are alive and…well…I wanted to tell you that I am going to investigate into this matter more thoroughly," Ike proposed. "I'll be going undercover."

Zelda looked him over as he said that. She wondered how he would go about doing this. But she decided against asking him, as she felt that Samus and Snake were getting restless with her and Ike's lengthy discussion. So she resolved on just thanking him. After all, she should really get going, knowing it isn't safe at the League anymore.

"Thank you Ike, for coming out here to help us," Zelda told him, walking forward towards the door, as if to signal to him that he should leave. "When and if this is all over, I will see to it that you are appropriately paid in the Hylian royal funds-"

"No," he stopped her.

"No?" she asked, unsure of his dejection.

Instead of giving her a reason, Ike glanced at her with an expression that suggested he was looking for something more.

Zelda only pretended like she didn't understand…even though she really knew what he wanted. She just wasn't ready yet…

Turning to the side, towards the door, Ike spoke.

"You're the same as I last remember…"

And with that, he walked out of the room.

"Well that's great," Snake said sarcastically, once Ike was gone. "Now another person knows that you're not actually dead!"

"I have to agree with Snake here, Zelda. Be careful. Remember, Ike is still just a mercenary," Rauru told her.

Zelda shot Rauru a slightly angry glance. "Just a mercenary?" she thought. Not a very pleasant comment about her friend, she mused. Had he forgotten that Samus was also _just _a bounty hunter? And perhaps even Snake?

"Your Highness, you really must get going," the old man said.

"Yes," Zelda responded, calming herself and taking a deep breath.

With their final goodbyes, Samus directed Zelda to her personal spacecraft. Although Snake hadn't said he was coming along with them, he followed the two.

"Samus, I'll be coming with you." Snake told her, just as they neared her yellow ship.

"Why's that? What about Otacon and-" Samus tried to tell him.

"They left…" Snake mumbled, with a tone that implied that Samus had been pushing an issue he didn't want to discuss. To further explain himself in as little words as possible, Snake just glanced at Zelda. But Zelda had no idea of why he had done so.

"Alright," Samus said, opening the main doorway. "I'll be in the cockpit…obviously. If either of you need anything, the door will be open. Snake, I suggest you get some rest. If you haven't noticed, your head is bleeding through the sutures."

Snake checked himself, and realized that she was right. He then stalked off to the sleeping quarters.

Zelda stood by herself in the main room. In front of her were a table and six stools that were built into the ground. All around here were buttons and screens and mysterious gadgets attached to the wall. There was a low humming sound of all the machinery.

She didn't know what to do with herself. Besides that, she wasn't used to such technology.

Looking around, she found something that looked vaguely familiar to the technology on her own planet. There on the table was a square outline, with buttons in the middle of it. It was a holographic program. She sat down at one of the stools, and pressed the main button. A giant holographic image manifested in the center of the table. It was bigger than the one she had on Hylia. Glowing brightly, the image that had popped up was that of a strange and unfamiliar planet. Punching in a few buttons for information, there was a small text box that appeared. A description about the planet was scrolling through it.

"Planet Tallon IV...?" she thought to herself. Now something began to connect. It was the planet that Link had been investigating on, she remembered. Zelda considered whether to look further into information on the planet, but it only reminded her about Link and the fact that he was missing.

Instead, she began to punch in more buttons and found herself looking into a wide view of the entire galaxy. Samus must have catalogued nearly every planet. The woman was a bounty hunter, but the amount of information she had was staggering.

Having never been beyond Hylia before, Zelda now had the chance to catch up and explore the cosmos without actually having to travel. She zoomed in on some of the systems that were in the outer districts, far, far away from the League. Many of these systems had no sentient life forms inhabiting them. These, as she learned, were generally the harshest of planets ranging from volcanic worlds, to gaseous spheres with high levels of toxic chemicals.

Moving on, she looked up more information on other planets and systems. It was all so new to her, that she became lost in the moment. Zelda, back at home, was usually caught up in some book or intellectual study when she wasn't specifically training or performing her royal duties to Hylia, and she loved any chance to learn something new. And now, in the midst of all this chaos and tragedy, she found a moment of peace to do what she loved.

Two hours had gone by, before Zelda had this strange feeling coming over her. She was still looking up things on Samus's directory of the universe when she felt like someone was watching her. Focusing instead on the images in front of her, she adjusted her eyes to the form of a person that could barely be seen through the transparency of the hologram.

There, on the other side of the table, were Snake's grey-blue eyes watching her.

"How long had he been there?" she wondered. When they had boarded the spacecraft, Snake had gone into the back to the sleeping quarters. Perhaps he had only woken up now. But that didn't seem to be the case. He was sitting in a slightly uncomfortable, slumped position, as if having been there for quite some time.

Breaking the awkward silence, he spoke.

"Sorry..." he plainly said, alluding perhaps to the fact that he was staring."I've never really seen a Hylian before."

Well, that wasn't entirely true, Zelda thought. Snake had seen Rauru before, though the man wasn't too easy on the eyes and held such a strong gaze that not many could glance at him for too long. Ignoring Snake's excuse to whatever he was apologizing for, Zelda turned off the hologram. The room became much darker after the light of the screen went away.

She continued to look at him when she remembered something.

"Snake," she began. "I never actually thanked you for what you have done for me, for Rauru, and my people. Without you coming to help us-"

"Don't worry about it. Your old man has said that enough," he replied.

Zelda was slightly taken aback by his bluntness. Was he just being rude or was she reading too much into that? Snake was the type where his tones or inflections could suggest either anger or apathy, or neither, which was confusing when communicating with him.

She watched him as he reached his hand down to prod for something in his gear. Upon lifting his hand back up, he pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Although he was an Earthling, he still smoked. Zelda had recently learned that Earth was a society obsessed in health and wellness, but here was one person who seemed unfazed by such fads. Even back on Hylia, it was still a regular and common thing to smoke.

While he pulled one cigarette out, the man began to fiddle with a lighter, to no avail.

Zelda stood up from her stool and walked over to him. Snake watched her as she approached.

Putting her hands together, she firmly applied pressure against the palms. Upon releasing, a spark appeared between them, eventually igniting into an entire ball of flames.

Snake threw himself backwards when the fire appeared, and then looked up at her with gaping eyes. She watched him, as she moved the fire into just one hand, and eased it towards the cigarette in his mouth. He had an incredulous look on his face, but then shook his head.

"What else can you do?" he jokingly asked her…at least she thought he was joking. Not expecting her to answer, he proceeded to smoke.

It seemed as though Snake had never seen magic before, by the way he reacted when she transformed earlier, and just now. Such a thing wasn't unexpected; few people really traveled to such "magically" inclined lands like Planet Hylia, out of either fear or spite.

While he smoked, she put out the fire in her hand, and turned around.

"Wait…hang on," she could hear Snake say.

Zelda turned back towards him.

"I want to ask you something. It's about when we were at the League, and you were…disguised. What happened to you, back out in the hall, when Mantis approached you?" he questioned her.

"Who?" she asked.

"The man in the gas mask," he replied.

"Oh….him," Zelda said, recalling the moment.

"Was there anything specific or strange that you ascertained during that encounter?" Snake continued to interrogate her.

"That man, Mantis, you called him. Well, he was…reading my mind," she told him, wondering if he would believe her.

"Yeah, no doubt," Snake said.

"You know about this?" she inquired.

"Yep, you could also say I know the guy. That's why I was wondering why he was acting so strange around you," he went on.

"Snake, the man was...dissecting my thoughts. I could feel it. I think he might've known who I really was, but I am not certain. I was able to block him once I assessed the situation. But the fact that Nabooru was killed could suggest..." her voice trailed off.

Admitting these words made her feel guilty, as if she had been at the root of Nabooru's assassination. Maybe if she wasn't disguised as Sheik, none of this would have happened.

"It's a good thing you caught on...though I don't understand how really-" Snake said.

"I have the abili-..." Zelda stopped, thinking of how to explain this. She knew she should never tell people directly of her powers, or use them for superficial causes, but she felt a strange comfort around Samus and Snake. Otherwise, she would still be under the guise of her alternate persona, Sheik.

How would she put this without giving away too much? It would be dangerous to expose the powers of the Triforce, which was why it was little known in the galaxy, and why the Hylian's were not technologically advanced or knowledgeable of regions beyond.

Zelda took a step forward towards him.

"Have you...ever heard of the Legend of the Hero of Time?" she asked him.

"...nope," he looked up at her, still working on his cigarette.

But before Zelda could further explain, Samus abruptly walked in the room. It had seemed like the bounty hunter was going to say something, but she choked back her words and revealed a slightly confused glance before quickly covering it up.

Zelda sensed some awkward tension in the room. Looking at the woman's eyes, it followed the path toward Snake, who was looking back at her. Then Samus looked over at Zelda, and her expression of confusion began to creep slowly back.

Then Zelda realized what was putting Samus off: unbeknownst to her, Zelda was standing very close to Snake, though it was only because she had just lit his cigarette.

As Sheik, she had felt that Samus and Snake had some weird vibes between each other. She backed off slightly, hoping to ease the situation.

"Were you going to say something, or just stare?" Snake asked Samus.

Putting one hand on her hip, the blonde bounty hunter smirked and replied.

"It's time to go Snake. We're here," she said, turning back into the cockpit.

The man got up and walked over to his gear, which was lying in one of the corners of the room. Zelda sat down at the table and watched him from the peripherals of her vision.

Snake was fixing some straps that went over his shoulders, which helped him carry his equipment. Zelda wasn't aware that this was his destination. Perhaps Samus and him had worked things out while she was preoccupied with the hologram.

"Well, princess-" Snake began, walking towards the door to the outside.

"Zelda…" she said, wanting to be referred to that instead.

"Right," Snake continued, with a small smile on the corner of his mouth, which she hadn't seen on him before. "You'll have to tell me that story some other time."

Snake opened the door and stepped out. The landing platform was grey asphalt…an industrial place she noticed. When the door shut, he was gone.

Once he left, Zelda was all alone, bored again. There was no customary thing for her to do. She had already eaten her time up with the hologram. This Hylian was definitely not used to being in space.

Finally, she thought about speaking with Samus, maybe find out what was wrong earlier.

Walking into the cockpit, she watched from the doorway as Samus waved to Snake, who reciprocated out in the distance on the platform. The princess sat down next to Samus.

"Hello, Zelda," she gave a friendly greeting, no sign of the earlier, brief tension.

"Samus, umm…" she tried to begin this eloquently. "You and Snake-"

"What about us?" the bounty hunter cut in.

"…"

Zelda couldn't figure out how to put it.

"Snake's a strange man. If you think there's something between us, there isn't…anymore at least. If he tries to put the moves on you, don't worry," Samus began to joke. "That's just his nature, though I don't think he'd ever take it too far. He's not too good once he makes it past the first pick up line."

Samus was looking at Zelda, with a playful smile on her face. Though the woman was often holding a fierce and strong gaze, there seemed to be a lighthearted, joking side to her that was refreshing for a change.

Zelda gave a warm, gentle smile back.

"Alright, let's go to your stop," Samus said, as they were lifting off.

"Where to exactly?" the princess asked.

"To Port Town Aero Dive. It's not a planet, per se, but one of the largest man-made structures in the galaxy. A racing station and residence to wayward space travelers, created for the wild and extreme F-Zero breed."


	10. Chapter 10: Ike

**Part One**

**Chapter Ten: Ike**

"What are you suggesting?" Ike asked Soren again over his COM. Soren was Ike's black hair and red-eyed bookkeeper and tactical advisor on his mercenary team.

"Go to Arachnida. The planet in outer vector 8. Just take a quick visit over there," Soren insisted.

"Um...I don't see why..." Ike grumbled.

"Listen Ike, I've done some research on an interesting subject. I mean, you plan on infiltrating the laguz, right? How do you expect to do that? As a human? No, not with these radical factions that we've been investigating. It simply isn't going to work. While in the capital of Crimea, I went to the national archive and found some interesting subjects on mysticism and shape shifting. Not necessarily something I casually dive into, but it struck a chord with me," the black haired assistant went on.

"How so?" the mercenary inquired.

"Have you ever heard of the desert gypsies?" Soren replied with a question.

"You mean those urban legends?" Ike asked.

"Yeah, well they are a little more credible than that, I've discovered. Hundreds of records, of all different kinds of species of aliens, humans, and other beings I've found containing accounts of those who have lived to tell the story of these women," Soren went on.

"What's so special about these women that I need to find them? All they do is-"

"Ike, whatever you have heard is not entirely true. They're fabrications by those looking for fun around a campfire or at a late night bar. These gypsies may actually hold the key to going undercover, such as you have planned," he finished.

The story the two were discussing involved strange and mystical women on Arachnida, of who had ancient and supernatural powers. These tales were more like urban legends to Ike though. The story would go that men would seek out these women for their beauty and power, only to be lured away and eaten alive by said women. But who would believe that gorgeous women, alone in the desert, would entice men to come to their lairs to feed on them? It seemed so impractical and unfeasible to Ike.

There was a different telling of the story that said that these women were not beautiful at all. In fact, they were the most hideous of all humanoids in the galaxy. They would disguise themselves and kidnap young men, and horde them for themselves. Again, a stupid story, thought Ike.

"All I wanted to do was sneak around, maybe buy some cloaking device on the black market. I really don't mean to take this too far," the blue-haired man claimed.

"Those are far too expensive and risky to purchase, Ike. The penalty would be so severe if you were to be found buying them. Just hear me out! If you go to Arachnida and stop by a local bar, I'm sure you'll uncover what I've been talking about," Soren finished.

"Why don't you just tell me?" Ike bluntly remarked.

"...You won't believe me," Soren responded.

"Okay, fine. We can do this the hard way...I'll change my destination," Ike said.

The conversation between Soren and Ike resumed for a short while before Ike finally closed his COM line. Rising from his seat, he moved to the passenger control panel and terminated his previous destination of returning back to Tellius and instead punched the new one of Arachnida. Hopefully, this would not cost him too much and that the crew flying this spacecraft wouldn't mind such a far off planet.

When he sat down again to his former seat, there was a different person occupying the one next to him. It was a woman with long, silky black hair and cat-like brown eyes. She was absolutely stunning and exotic looking. She definitely wasn't there before, as Ike would have noticed such an interesting looking person.

As he took his seat, still looking at her, she glanced up and returned his gaze with a mischievous smile on her face. That was the extent of a formal introduction between the two.

Ike, having just left the League, was on a public transport spacecraft, since he didn't own his own ship. However, this one was more public than he would have preferred. The blue haired man had to share the entire ship with fifty other passengers, crammed into a relatively tight passenger quarter.

The interior of the ship was what one would expect of a public system. It had dreary grey monotonous tones covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. Small circuits covered the entire ceiling though, and every now and then a flicker of color would flash from a spark.

Several hours had passed, and Ike was nearing sleep when they finally landed at Arachnida. Waking himself up, he quickly stood and sauntered to the exit. As he did, he noticed somebody was following him.

It was the same woman that had been next to him.

As he stepped out, Ike grabbed his red cape and firmly wrapped it tighter and brought it up to his mouth. There was a strong wind out and the sand that it carried stung as it brushed his skin. Arachnida was a warm and dry planet. The sun that shone on him was one of the brightest he had ever felt.

Beyond the landing platform was a depot up ahead. Ike could see that it was for transporting people to the city. This place was desolate, with relatively little inhabitants. It did, however, have a large city as its main location, sheltered by some mountains as Soren had told him.

And out here was nothing but desert plains.

Ike paid his fare and boarded the train. He decided to sit in a spot all alone, away from others, even though almost nobody was on board. The black haired woman sat near him, two seats down.

The train was a rather shabby vehicle. There was sand on some corners of the floor, and the small windows that lined the outer walls looked rough and coarse from the wind. Cushions were non-existent, and Ike had to sit on a hard plastic seat. Burnt orange and grey steel were the predominant colors and accents to the furnishings. It was also a little dark inside, considering the planet was primarily a bright and sunny desert. At the least, there was air conditioning.

When the train finally stopped, Ike waited to see if the woman would get off first, as she was sitting ahead of him. When she didn't, he hurriedly got up and rushed for the exit.

Looking around, the city seemed alive with people. The landscape was composed of stucco dwellings and sand roads built very close to each other. The passageways were sometimes so tight, that only two people could pass at a time. From building to building hung clothing and other fabrics, and strange meats of all different shapes, drying out in the sun. Seeing the food reminded Ike that he hadn't eaten in a while.

His stomach growled and turned over, a feeling that pained him. Ike stopped in the middle of the road and looked around. People and aliens were angrily moving around him, wanting to get by impatiently.

"What did Soren say they looked like?" Ike pondered to himself. He knew he would have to stop by a local bar to get information and food, but Ike couldn't quite remember how Soren described them.

In the middle of the crowd, somebody caught his attention. It was the captivating black haired woman from the transport ship. She weaved in and out of people before stepping inside a building.

"A bar!" Ike muttered. Good thing he was watching her. He quickly moved past some people to enter the place. Once he did, he fell blind. The inside was so dark, compared to the brightness of the outside that his eyes were slowly adjusting.

Ike moved slowly, so as to not bump into anyone. The people around here didn't seem of the friendly sort. The bar was a hodgepodge of aliens, humans, and other creatures. The floor was metal grating above a sandy terrain and the décor was very industrial looking. Chains hung from the dark, black ceiling. They held food of all kinds. Ike watched as a fat man grabbed a hunk of dried meat, brought it up to the bar counter to pay and then began to eat.

Figuring out how the system worked, Ike did the same. But when he looked over the foods that were stuck to the hooks on the chain, he didn't recognize any of it. How would he play this safe? Most of the food was dried assortments. There was of course, the meat, but also fruit and mysterious grains packed into wedges.

"This one," a voice called out from behind him.

It was the black haired woman, Ike could see. She approached from behind to his left, and subsequently grabbed a yellow sliver of dried fruit.

"Follow me," she instructed.

He followed the woman to the bar, where the two sat down. Once she paid the bartender, her hands gripped the piece of fruit and tore it into two pieces. She handed one to Ike.

"It's good," she seductively spoke to him, narrowing her cat eyes. Ike felt a chill go down his spine. Something about her didn't seem altogether right.

As he took a bite, the bartender approached them.

"Anything to wash it down?" a rough and guttural voice came from the barista. He had four orange eyes going vertically down his long head. A small mouth hung at the bottom, where one could expect a chin. His skin was dark grey, and from his two arms sprouted two more arms halfway. They all seemed to work on their own, cleaning cups and pouring drinks.

"Yeah…water," Ike replied.

"Make that two, with some fire," winked the black haired woman to the bartender.

Ike shot her a confused glance, wondering what she meant by 'fire'. If she was trying to get him to drink alcohol, she'd be quick out of luck.

The bartender nodded, and two of his hands made the drinks. Before setting them on the counter, he spread a black, gooey liquid on the top. Afterwards, he lit them on fire, and the topping began to burn off.

Ike grimaced when he saw his drink being layered with black goo. At this point, he was going to refuse it and just leave. Besides, he was beginning to think that this woman would be a problem.

As he slowly eased himself off the seat, he felt something prodding his back. It was rather sharp he noted, turning just his head now. What met his gaze were two familiar "eyes" staring back at him.

"Where is the girl?" the creature said to him in an impatient tone. Ike looked down to see what he had been expecting to be pointed at his back: a gun.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ike muttered, not wanting to deal with this now.

"I can make this slow and painful," the being with the gun whispered back, now pulling a knife in his other hand and pushing it lightly against Ike's back. "Come with me or everyone in this room will wonder why a human is lying on the floor, bleeding to death," it said, guiding Ike off his seat.

He sighed and rolled his eyes as the two moved through the bar, to a small restroom in the back.

It was dimly light, with horribly stained beige tiles from floor to ceiling. Sand littered the ground, and some tiles were visibly falling apart. One light hung from above and it was obvious it was seeing the end of its days.

There was an unpleasant smell hanging in the air.

"Now I'll say it louder, where is the girl?" the creature with the gun and knife asked Ike.

Ike rested himself against a slightly rusted metal sink. As he looked at the creature, he noted just how unfriendly its features were...again.

It had the same distinctive shape that humans had…arms, legs, torso, etc., but its flesh was incredibly white…almost pure white. Whereas people don't have smooth lines as a silhouette, this being was completely rounded on the edges. There were no dents in its skin, no wrinkles, but there was something distinctive about it. The skin looked porous, almost like a sponge. Most of the body was completely wrapped in brown cloth. The person almost looked like a mummy, if it wasn't for a black vest covering the chest and two belts holding its gear strapped around its waist.

Ike stared into the most ghastly feature: its face. Above it, its head was wrapped in the same brown cloth, covering even the forehead. There was no mouth, no ears, and no nose. Just two eyelids that opened and closed like a human's, but there was nothing inside. Just an empty pit of pink, moist flesh, with veins sprawling the surface of the cavity.

The creature was a Prion. A race of beings that lived on a dark and cold planet in the outer vectors. They had all the five senses, but the only obvious one was the eyes they had, as none of their other features were physically visible. Ike had learned from Soren that this species would carve out their eyes as a right of passage, relying purely on hearing and smell.

"We know you left for the League and we know she isn't dead. Word from the top itself," he hissed at Ike.

"…That's right…she isn't," the mercenary admitted, though he wondered how they knew.

"Then, _where is she_?" the creature snarled.

"Don't worry; she's under my wing now…so to speak. You'll get her in time," he said, reassuringly.

"This better be the case. I didn't come all the way out here to track you and bring nothing back to the Beast," it said. And with that, the creature left the room.

Ike sighed again, closing his eyes. He had played it cool this time, but how much longer could he pretend? Ike wasn't used to playing the double agent.

Turning around, he brushed back his hair and looked into the mirror above the sink. His face was weary and dirty. Sand and dirt still managed to get on him even under the wrap of his cape.

While he splashed water on his temples and cheeks, his thoughts were gathering on the Prion that had just confronted him….

"What am I doing?" he asked himself aloud.

- - - -

While out scouting on Tellius before learning of the "fake" Princess Zelda's assassination at the League, Ike had retrieved intelligence that the radical laguz factions that he was investigating into about their involvement in the Tellius-Altea War, were paying bounty hunters and mercenaries for the capture of what they called the "elven goddess". It was a term that Ike later learned meant Princess Zelda.

When he discovered that she was being sought after, Ike was determined to find out just who was executing the orders. Ike, along with his long time Greil mercenary team, searched for answers. And that was when they discovered the boar beast that the true Zelda later confirmed in a photo was Ganon.

Ike then went about Tellius trying to find out more. That was when he was hired by a bounty hunter to do the task he was investigating into: the capturing of Princess Zelda. The bounty hunter was a Prion, unlikely to be seen on Tellius in most cases, but the special circumstance was obvious. There was a massive, unheard of reward out for apprehending Zelda.

So Ike accepted a deal with the bounty hunter, hoping to find out more information on this matter. He knew full well the type of bounty hunter that had hired him. This was the kind that accepts work from their employer, then goes out to hire others to do the real job for a smaller fee, hoping to make a lot of money without actually doing anything. These bounty hunters were either skilled and conniving, or just lazy and stupid. Ike was counting on lazy and stupid. While working under this bounty hunter, he gathered more information on Ganon.

The "Beast" was what he was called by other laguz, but Ike couldn't pry more out of the Prion.

With what little information he had, he decided to leave for Hylia to warn the princess. That was, until he learned the news of her death. Shocked and saddened, he went to the League to the funeral only to find the comforting truth that Zelda was actually alive.

- - - -

And now here he was, working for a bounty hunter who demanded her capture, while simultaneously trying to get closer to Ganon to stop him from whatever plans he had for Zelda. Ike had never played both sides of the coin like this. He hated the guilt that came with it, even though he knew the reason for doing this was just.

Ike stood up straight, rolled his head, hearing his neck joints popping, and then left the restroom. He walked back to the stool where he had sat earlier. The black haired woman was gone, but the bartender approached him.

"Your friend told me to leave you this," the alien said, handing Ike a scrolled up piece of paper.

"Uh…thanks," he replied, taking it and leaving the bar. The sun was beginning to set, he could tell, from the increasing orange glow in the sky.

As he pulled the piece of paper open, he realized it was a map. There was the bar pointed out, and there, miles away in the outskirts, was a destination drawn for him. It was a mountain that lay beyond a desert plain.

Looking up into the sky, he knew that it would be best to travel at night, when it was cooler. But as the sun was setting, Ike could still make it by shielding himself from the light if he walked in the shadows.

If he was going to do this, now would be the time. Ike had a strange feeling about that woman. He felt drawn to meeting her again, even though he didn't know a thing about her, really. Except for this notion that had grown in the back of his head that this woman might have information into what Soren was talking about earlier…

- - -

It had been a long walk to the location, but as he neared the end of the journey, the winds seemed to calm and the sand was no longer such a nuisance. The sun had already set once he arrived and there was a blue tint to the moonlight's glow. Breathing in to catch his breath, Ike felt as the colder air was seeping into his nostrils, down to his chest, cooling him. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees, trying to still his heavy breathing.

As he resumed his usual posture, Ike looked around in the dark. He had reached the bottom of a relatively small mountain, but it didn't look like anything special. Pulling out the map again, he looked it over to see if the other structures drawn nearby matched up. And they did. A small grove of barren trees, a boulder shaped into the silhouette of a hand closed into a fist…

Just then, a light flickered off in the distance. Ike directed his gaze to halfway up the mountain where he could see two torches at the entrance of what looked like a cave.

"Humph…" he grumbled to himself.

If that was his destination, it meant climbing. Not something he was all too happy about. But after coming this far, it would pointless not to finish the journey.

"Why am I doing this?" he thought to himself. Did he really think that this would help him find out about the mystical legends of the desert women? The problem was that Ike had too much common sense and rationality to wholeheartedly believe that Soren thought these urban legends had some truth to them. Even so, he kept trudging on.

Once he reached the entrance to the cave where the lights were, he could see the inside more clearly as other torches from within lit up. It was not bright enough, however, to see everything inside. There were dark shadows lining the walls inside the cave.

Ike slowly walked in, uncertain if this was the place that he was meant to be. But he was drawn into the dark shelter because the lights seemed to appear around him as he entered, as if lit by a ghost.

He looked around more. There were candles all over the floor and some strange looking bones sparsely scattered. This turned him off a little, and he felt the inclination to leave.

Just as he turned around, he heard a voice.

"I know what you seek…" a sultry feminine voice rang out from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Ike, startled, yelled into the cave. His hands reached up near his chest, ready to bring his sword Ragnell, which hung on his back, over his head in defense.

"Oh, I think you know. Who else drew you that map?" the woman with the black hair emerged from the shadows.

"I actually don't really know you, so stop making those claims." Ike bluntly remarked.

"So quick with the temper!" the woman playfully said. "That's not the way to reach someone's heart!"

"What are you talking about?" Ike crossed his arms as he said that.

"You didn't trek across the desert and up a mountain just for fun, no? We'll see about that, I think..." She walked over to him, shaking her full hips. Once she reached him, she draped her arms around his neck.

Ike didn't flinch, but instead just watched her brown, mischievous eyes as they got closer to his.

"Such deep blue, passionate gems," she whispered to him, referring to his eyes as she ran her fingers into his hair.

Ike frowned as she said that. He tilted his head backwards when she touched his head, not appreciating how physical she was getting. He also distastefully noted as she brought her body closer to his, making them touch.

"What do you want!?" Ike furiously called out, pushing her away from him.

"More like, what do _you _want?" a grin spread across her cheeks. "I think I've made myself clear…you have not yet."

This was all beginning to feel too much like those legends Soren had been talking about. Ike's heart began to beat faster. He was afraid, even though he hadn't truly believed those stories.

"I…I want…to know…if," he searched for a way to say this, getting irritated at his own inability to just speak plainly.

"Aaaaww, that's okay. I already know it. No need to work your self up so much," she teased, walking towards him again. "I already knew from the moment I saw you on the transport ship. You want to experience it…the power I have…"

She had already gotten close to Ike again, but he was too stupefied, mulling over what she had just said.

Lost in his thoughts, he ignored the fact that her head was now moving close to his face. Just as her eyes were literally two inches from his, he snapped out of his daydreaming.

"Huh?! Wait-!" he exclaimed, fruitlessly trying to move out of her grasp and closeness.

But it was too late. Her lips locked on his, as her arms wrapped around him pressing him back into her.

"Mmmm-no-mmm! Mmmm-stop!" he tried to speak aloud, under the pressure of her lips against his mouth.

She finally moved off of him. In releasing her hold, she threw him backwards with such unexpected force that Ike tumbled onto the dirt floor. Her previously beautiful, cat-like face began to shift into a dark and devious expression. She cackled loudly into the cave, making it echo against the walls.

"What have you done? Just who are you?" Ike whimpered angrily. It was a mixture of fright and malice in his tone. Once she had kissed him, he felt a surge of energy pass through. Now it had progressed into a painful aching all over. Clenching his arms and chest, Ike was twisting in pain on the ground.

"What is this…why does it hurt?!" he moaned loudly.

Although he had been pressing his eyes shut in anguish, he briefly opened them. They widened immediately.

What he saw was certainly demoralizing; even to someone of his stature and bravery. The sight unfolding in front of him was entirely unexpected. Ike could see a massive black tail emerging, growing from behind the woman's now elongating torso. Her face began to twist and move in unnatural shapes. The once cat-like eyes drooped down and moved to the side, jutting outward into giant insect like optics. Her mouth fell to her chin and morphed into two pinchers.

"Don't be sad, you're only becoming another addition to my collection! It'll all be over soon…ahahahhahah!" she shrieked in an increasingly inhuman like voice.

After saying that, she threw both her arms back. The entire cave lit up now, revealing hordes of cages against the walls where the shadows had once hid them. Inside the cages, Ike could see bones of all different types of animals.

"No! No! This is just a story! An urban legend! This can't be happening…!" he screamed with all the force of his lungs.

He wanted to get up and run, but the pain had become overwhelming. The most he could do was sit up. Even that was excruciating.

"What's happening to me!?" he shuddered. Sweat and tears were running down his face. Clenching his right arm with his left, he saw what looked like white fur beginning to rupture on his pale skin.

"Ahhhhh! Noooo!! Please stop!" he tried to get up, but fell to his knees.

"You can't stop it now!" she cackled.

"Nooo…please…make it stop!" he begged.

The pain was too much. It felt like Ike was going to die. That thought was definitely streaming in his head.

"Awww, what's the matter? This _is_ what you wanted! You had foolishly thought it was all just fables and stories only told by a campfire, right? Well it's real! _I'm real!_ Soon you'll become the very beasts you humans believe you are greater than, more superior than! Ahahahah!" her shrill laughter had finally become as sharp as the blade of a sword.

"Such fun…such rewarding misery I can instill into the heart's of men," she continued, no hint of mercy in her voice.

Ike reeled backwards, sprawling onto the ground. His body was involuntarily contorting into unnatural positions. The white fur was appearing all over him. The mercenary could feel as his face began to twitch and stretch abnormally, with his nose elongating and his mouth widening.

Instead of his usual shouting and yelling, the only vocalization of pain Ike could now emit was low groans. Cocking his head to the side, he watched the black haired woman who was looking back at him.

Only now, she wasn't just a human anymore…Her body was changing into what Ike saw was a reptilian, scorpion form. The legs had shifted into multiple pointed black appendages. A tail moved slowly, extending backwards and arching behind her head. It had a large stinger at the tip.

And as he looked upon her, her transformation was moving upwards onto her bust and arms. Turning black and rough, like the exoskeleton of a scorpion, her arms warped into pedipalps, with plier-like pinchers.

The horrifying scene was nearly complete. Her face had already changed, with her eyes being bulbous, protruding mounds on the side of her face. And where her mouth and chin once were, the two pinchers moved inwards and apart, like a mouth would move open and shut.

Interestingly, Ike could still see human parts amid her scorpion like features. It was a strange mix of human flesh and exoskeleton above what would have been her waist.

In his preoccupation of watching her, Ike had neglected the once dominating pain, and had momentarily forgotten what was happening to him. Redirecting his attention, he looked down upon himself. What he first saw was a black spot at the tip of a long white and furry nose. He tried to lift a hand up to touch the mysterious thing on his face. In doing so, his arm wouldn't reach. It felt different…the joints moved awkwardly. Looking down, Ike saw what the problem was. A paw was where his hand had been!

"What's…happened…to…ME?!" he yelled in his mind. Ike had thought he was saying it aloud, at least he had tried. But nothing sounded. He couldn't speak anymore.

Trying once again, Ike instead exuded a howling sound…deep and powerful, thundering in the cave.

As the pain had finally ceased, he stood up, on four legs now. Feeling the inclination to shake his body, he did. White fur rustled in his movements. The scents, the sights, the hearing…it was all overwhelming now. This new body's sensations came rushing to his head like a ten ton brick.

"A _white_ beast…hmmm," he heard the scorpion woman hiss from behind her claw mouth.

"Such…an unusual form…"

"Must be…a pure heart…"

These were the last sounds he heard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **I really appreciate all the reviews/comments that new and devoted readers have been giving this story. It's been a lot of help and makes me very happy that you all enjoy this. Seriously, you guys are great! There were some questions that I felt I'll answer here.

To **Flowershop78:** Aside from already being in one chapter, Master Chief may very well make another appearance. ;) You'll have to follow the story for confirmation on that. I think the fun of reading stories are when characters come in and out unexpectedly.

I know I already responded to this on a PM with **The Digital Dimension**, but I'll address the situation of Link here: Don't worry, he's not out of the picture. You will all soon learn the truth as to what has become of him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


	11. Chapter 11: Samus

**Part One**

**Chapter Eleven: Samus**

It had taken them about three hours before Zelda and Samus finally arrived at Port Town Aero Dive in the Zero System. It is a man made structure built specifically for the extreme F-Zero Racers, as they were known in the galaxy. A giant race track weaved in and out of the massive circular complex that actually had its own orbit, and even picked up a single moon satellite.

A place of incredible industry, it had the most bars, the most gambling, the most strip clubs (as an inherent result of the two former concepts), and the biggest mesh of humans, aliens, and creatures in the galaxy. What initially drove people to visit the place was the racing. Ultimately, as the racing became more dangerous and more popular, thanks to a certain human known as Captain Falcon, the population began to boom and it quickly became a place of residence and also a rest stop for nearly everyone passing through.

"Alright Zelda, this is it. You'll stay here for a few days, until I can return with evidence. Here's my frequency line…keep in touch over the COM if there's ever any trouble," Samus instructed her.

The Hylian nodded her head and moved into the back. Samus, still parking her spacecraft in the landing port, saw as light spilled through into her room. Zelda must have transformed, she thought. It would be the safest way to go incognito, even amid a place where nobody knows each other's names.

Getting up from her seat, she walked into the main room, where she found Sheik standing near the exit door, waiting.

"I almost forgot! You'll need some money if you hope to eat or stay anywhere," Samus began to pull some Chozon currency out from a box adhered to the wall behind her. When she brought it out to Sheik, the warrior put out her right hand, motioning a 'no,' and then explained why by pulling out some Hylian currency.

"Alright, I suppose that'll do. Just try and keep that out of other people's sight. The crime around here rises dramatically at night or whenever the racing is all done and hundreds of bets have been lost. Just keep that in mind. You should probably get a place to stay before then," she told Sheik.

Sheik nodded her head.

Samus walked up to the door and opened it for her. Outside were other people and creatures running to and fro, repairing their ships or paying up for parking. It was quite busy out on the landing platform.

"Goodbye Samus," Sheik murmured from behind the white cloth wrapped around her lower face. Zelda's alter ego stepped out from the ship and casually strode off into the crowds, not once looking back.

Shutting the door, Samus looked around the room, pausing for a moment of reflection. With both her hands, she brushed back her blonde bangs and shook her hair around. It would be time once again to return to the Chozon Prime System. There, she would in due course, have to confront Wolf. She wouldn't want to give away that she was looking for evidence against him, but it would be hard for her to hold back her anger towards him.

She utterly despised the creature now, wanting nothing but to wrap her plasma whip around his neck, holding it there until it burned through to his fleshy throat. That'll have to wait though, she mused.

Samus walked back to the cockpit and seated herself. She took the controls of the ship, and when it was clear for takeoff, she left the landing port.

As she steered her ship through the dark and emptiness that is space, her mind began to wonder. Her thoughts were always dancing around what she would do at her arrival at the Chozon Prime, but when she woke up from her daydreaming, she realized that it always ended on Link.

Where is he? What has become of him? Were the rumors true that he had escaped or kidnapped, or was he still in his jail cell and people were making up stuff for some other deceitful plan?

But what Samus cared more about were not those questions, but of his well being. It drove her almost mad to think that it was possible that Link could be dead. She rubbed her eyes when they began to strain from that thought.

But the bounty hunter had to consider it. If it was true, she wanted to be ready…if she could ever be ready.

In the short time that she had begun to know him, she felt like Link was different. He was distinctive in that he never made any negative statement about her gender (which she experienced on a day to day basis, being in the bounty hunter business), he never hit on her in a perverted, chauvinistic way (which she experienced on a day to day basis, having such a curvy and trim figure), and he listened to her. Above all, she felt like he was in tune to her. When she embarrassingly had those painful flashbacks, he stayed on the line and wanted to know if she was okay. And the last thing she had remembered of him was the look of concern he had.

Nobody had ever looked at her in such a way…

While zoning out, Samus woke to attention from a loud beeping coming from her control panel. It was a red warning light.

"What's going on?" she thought to her self, re-gripping her hands on the steering equipment. She pushed a button in front of her, and the radar hologram popped up. From what she could see, something was following her closely behind. Out in the middle of nowhere, this was highly suspect.

But why was her warning light going off? That sound and light usually meant something was about to hit the ship. Did whatever it was miss, unbeknownst to Samus?

Deciding to find out more about this anonymous spacecraft, Samus opened up her COM line to it. However, there was no response. She tried once again. Nothing.

"Who is this?" she questioned aloud. Looking back to her radar, she saw as the spacecraft was getting closer.

Samus began to feel more uneasy about this. Checking on her distance from the Chozon Prime, she realized she was not too far away. If she sped up, perhaps she could lose this mysterious ship and get to the safety of Zebes, or Tallon IV.

Engaging her hyper drive, as the nitrous boost was known as, Samus pushed her spacecraft to the limit, speeding straight ahead. While the effect took place, she kept her eyes on the radar. Samus could see as the spacecraft slowly began to disappear from the hologram.

Sighing, she pushed her self back into the seat. She looked ahead and saw the planet Tallon IV moving in as she approached.

"Finally," she thought. Only now, as she recalled, she would be in the presence of Wolf.

A bittersweet return for Samus, but a new chance and a new hope for Link.

Just as Samus was closer to Tallon IV, she saw the Great Fox, Fox McCloud's ship, patrolling the area. It would be good to see him again. Maybe the two could discuss and relate on Wolf's possible betrayal. Samus turned her ship in his direction, wanting to speak with Fox.

As she did, the sound came again. Looking down, she saw as the red light began to beep and flicker.

"What now?" her concerned face frantically moved about, looking at her control panel and the radar.

It was the same ship that was following her earlier. Why were they back, whoever it was?

Samus now began to watch the radar closely. She noticed the ship as it began to move in closer to hers. It was coming in fast.

"Shit!" she yelled aloud, realizing that it wasn't going to stop. Pulling the steering rig to the right, she hoped that it would move the ship quickly enough, as there was relatively little time to react. But what Samus didn't realize was that the ship was moving in as a distraction. The red light was also flashing and beeping because something had been fired off.

Feeling the rumble and thunder of the impact, Samus, not being properly strapped in, went flying off her seat to the side. She landed on her right hip against the floor of the cockpit, and her head knocked in repercussion.

"Damn it," she muttered, pulling herself up quickly, rubbing her head. Through the plate of glass that separated space from the inside of the cockpit and gave the driver complete view of the front, she saw an object flash by quickly. It must've been the ship that had fired at her, now banking off to the right in front of her spacecraft.

She had barely been able to see it, but something about that ship looked familiar. The wings of it were pointed, and the vessel had a V shape.

Lifting herself up completely now, Samus moved over to her seat, pulling the overheard security belts and strapping herself in. She tried to engage her emergency shields, but they failed. The missile, she assumed, that had hit her must've disrupted that device.

Now Samus would have no way to directly pursue this person safely. Instead, she was going to have to make a quick run to the Great Fox. She didn't want to though. Her instincts told her not to let this person get away.

Frowning and biting her lower lip, she had to let go of that desire and just get to safety. As she accelerated to the spacecraft, she could see the Great Fox getting closer and closer.

Then the red light went off again.

Beyond frustrated now, Samus would either have to risk getting hit again, or engage the hyper drive and gamble on whether she'd be able to slow down quick enough to make a safe landing. Either way, she was in danger.

Adrenaline now flowing freely in her body, she reached down to press the button to speed up. But before she could, there was another explosion. Jolting forward, Samus was whip lashed in her seat, her body rocked forward and back.

An even louder beeping commenced, and a red light filled the entire room. Samus glanced upwards above the plated glass to see a warning flashing on a monitor.

LEFT WING ENGINE FAILURE

Now the ship was going even slower and she couldn't activate the hyper drive. An excellent hit by whoever was firing at her. With little else left to do, Samus attempted to get in communication with Fox. Maybe she could get some assistance out here.

But it seemed like most of the electronics were failing. It was even reaching the main room, where she could see equipment short circuiting in front of her. Because of this, she couldn't reach Fox.

Pounding her fist against the control panel in anger, Samus would now have to hope for the best. She was still on course towards McCloud's ship, but going at a slower rate. And as she watched the radar, she could see her attacker was not out of the area. In fact, it was pulling around again.

"The next hit will be catastrophic," she thought, trying to come up with something to do if it were to occur.

Unbuckling herself, Samus got up from her seat and ran out of the cockpit. She had an idea. It was something she generally wouldn't consider but the situation was dire. As a last resort, she'd have use it.

There was one piece of equipment that Samus owned. It was the most advanced weaponry and armored technology in the entire galaxy: her Varia Power Suit.

If it came down to it, her suit would be the last shell between her and the deadly vacuum of space.

Once she had entered the cargo room and successfully put the suit on, she walked back into the cockpit…and just in time. There was another hit, and Samus gripped the back of the seat and held on with the added strength from her suit. She noticed the strike was in the same spot: the left engine.

Now the ship jerked forward and began a nosedive toward the Great Fox. It was spinning because the left engine was doubly struck, destabilizing the equalizer and throttling the ship forwards to the right. Samus steadied herself to the side under the extreme pressure as the ship spun around and around. She was lucky to have gotten in her suit. Otherwise, she'd have been thrashed against the walls and likely killed.

As the Great Fox appeared spinning and growing larger through the view from the cockpit's window, Samus saw as the landing bay was open. If she was fortunate, her spacecraft would dive straight through the opening, diminishing slightly the impact she was about to experience.

With the increase in speed, the landing bay was now right in front of her. Samus's ship, as it was spinning in a clockwise motion, swung too close to the edge of the entrance's side, clipping it. On impact, the ship flew inwards, ricocheting to the left and slamming onto the ground. It grinded along the bay floor, taking out one Arwing along the way and obliterating some repair bots.

Samus had been thrown to the side when the ship ricocheted, but she was relatively unhurt. Her suit was damaged though, and the spacecraft still hadn't stopped. Shifting her head to the left, she watched as a wall was approaching.

Inside of her suit, Samus drew a deep breath bracing for the inevitable. She closed her eyes, knowing that in a few seconds she'd either be alive or dead.

Considering the possible pain if she lived, Samus hoped for the latter.

Clenching her eye lid's shut; she had primarily only thought of her own mortality until memories began flashing in her mind. Her head was spinning in thoughts of the prior events…speaking with Snake on the balcony, saying good bye as Sheik stepped off her ship, the stern expression Rauru had as he graciously thanked her, the way Magnus's corpse laid still on the ceremonial stretcher, the look of concern Link gave Samus before he was imprisoned at the League…

With her eyes widening as the wall was only mere inches away from her, Samus opened her mouth and spoke.

"Link!" she screamed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Paw, this chapter is rather short, but at least there's a new one right? Hmm, I'm getting busy with Finals now as the semester is ending, but I still want to write out more chapters. I'm probably more hooked on this than I should be. ):-P**


	12. Chapter 12: Snake

**Part One**

**Chapter Twelve: Snake**

Snake had found himself on some obscure planet that he had never traveled to before, due to the tracking device he had slipped on Sniper Wolf, and was subsequently following. It was an odd sort of place. Not a very popular planet, but at least for him the inhabitants were Earthlings…for the most part.

It was known as Big Blue, for all of it was covered in oceanic waters. Cities hung above them, on large platforms elevated above the surface, held by large columns. And of course, there was the infamous F-Zero racetrack that was well-known on the planet. Although the racing was a popular sport in the galaxy, Big Blue's track didn't bring crowds like the others did. It was partially because the audience couldn't watch the race from the ocean. Rather, it was broadcasted to all other planets and systems from a camera that followed the course.

Although Snake knew where the tracking device would take him, he wanted to rest a bit and settle down before jumping into this new mission. Stopping by a local coffee house, he stepped inside the place, which had grey and yellow tiled flooring, and a large bar that encompassed the length of the room.

He sat down at a stool, and a waiter walked up to him to take his order. It was a bald man with a rather bored and apathetic look. No wonder though, as the business seemed slow.

"What would you like sir," the man began.

"Just some coffee," Snake replied, looking down at the menu even though he wouldn't order anything more.

As the waiter turned around, Snake asked him if it was okay to smoke. The bald man gave an expression suggesting that to do so would annoy him, but that the restaurant had no policy against it.

With no obvious reply, Snake lit up and inhaled the smoky carcinogens. He strictly smoked non-filtered, and this might have been why he had such a scruffy voice. That, or it was naturally overtly masculine.

Resting both elbows on the counter in front of him, he looked to the right, then to the left. There was only one other person at the counter. It was a very large man, eating a plate full of various animal proteins stacked and mixed around. From bright and yellow scrambled eggs, to brown and rubbery looking sausage links, there seemed enough to feed three people.

After making the observation, the waiter brought him his coffee. It was dark and strong, just as Snake preferred it. While sipping on it and simultaneously finishing his cigarette, his mind was wondering on all the possible reasons as to what Sniper Wolf, and the rest of the gang, were up to. Mostly, though, he pondered how they could be alive. He didn't know whether he would find this out, as Snake just wanted to get rid of them. Their presence was a sign of some impending problem on a worldly scale, as it had at Shadow Moses.

Once he had emptied the mug, Snake left some bills and coins on the counter, and walked out of the restaurant. While on the street sidewalk, he pulled out a gadget that Otacon had made for him, and turned it on. While he waited for it to be activated, he looked around the area. The buildings on Big Blue were mainly white, grey, and blue tones, with smooth architectural lines. It was pleasant on the eyes, as opposed to most F-Zero racetrack planets that were too industrial and unkempt looking. Such would be the case though, he thought, if Big Blue was as popular as the others.

_Bleep…Beep…Bleep!_

The equipment was activated, and Snake could now move on towards finding out where Sniper Wolf was.

Looking down at it, his eyes watched a button that would flash faster and more brightly the closer he got. Snake began to find him self walking down several streets. At first, it was just big ones, in the main city area, but then he began to cross down several small and narrow alleys. The alleys were leading him into an industrial and downtrodden area with buildings that were covered in graffiti and were visibly falling apart.

He had to move over several chain link fences, climb some buildings by way of emergency fire ladders, and then walk through completely abandoned structures, before he reached what he assumed to be the destination.

Up ahead he saw what seemed to be just another five story, abandoned warehouse, which was completely run down. But what stopped him from just moving inside of it was what seemed to be a guard. Someone, dressed in blue-grey camouflage, was patrolling the perimeter, with a gun in tow.

Snake snuck behind another building and peeked around the corner. He pulled out his binoculars to get a better look. There was only one person from what he could tell, and this supposed guard would move in and out of the building. Somewhat of a terrible patrol, as if assuming nobody was coming. Lucky for Snake, though.

Once the guard went back inside, Snake pressed the button on his bodysuit at his neck. It would form the suit to the color of his choice, and for this urban environment, asphalt and blue tone would work best.

Snake moved low to the ground and ran forward, towards the door where the guard would eventually come out of. After reaching it, he pressed his body against the wall, closest to the hinge end. He waited there for three minutes, his heart pounding to a small degree, though this soldier was accustomed to such work.

As the door slowly inched open, Snake readied himself, moving his weight to the balls of his feet. The guard pushed it wide open, almost hitting Snake with it, but then moved in the opposite direction down the alley. Whipping himself around the door, Snake hastily, but quietly, moved into the building. The guard was too oblivious and far down the alley to have heard.

Once inside, Snake shut the door and locked it. Although this might alert the attention of others, as the guard would eventually want to go inside, it could buy him time to get further into this building. By now, his gadget, having been turned on silent, was flashing brightly and with very little time between each flicker. He was getting close.

The building's interior was similar to the decrepit and trashy look of the outside. The floor had tiles that were broken up and the beige paint on the walls was chipping all over. It looked like an apartment, guessing from the major staircase and a few remaining small, steel mailbox compartments that hung on the wall. The windows were boarded up, making corners and the upper area of the staircase very dark.

Snake switched his camouflage to black and walked into the shadows. He had fairly good eyesight in the dark, without the use of any technology, and so he moved easily in it. Knowing that the guard outside would either radio in or make a lot of noise trying to get through the door, Snake needed to find a way within this place that would offer good cover. And he did, relatively quickly.

Beneath the staircase, in the dark, he had found a vent that was large enough for him to fit through. It was still screwed in, so he had to vigorously pull it off the wall. After doing so, Snake crawled into the narrow passageway. He brushed against a few cobwebs, and kicked up dust in the air.

Ignoring the fact that this could potentially lead him to sneezing, and thus a give away to his location, he trekked onward. His gadget was flashing ever more quickly, and he knew he had picked the right way.

Eventually, the vent turned upwards and Snake would have to move with more discretion. There was nothing to latch onto, and he had to use all his strength of his arms and feet putting pressure against the metal sides to pull him self up. Nearly falling downwards twice, the vent he was moving upwards through finally hooked to the left. Pulling himself up onto the now flat level of the interior, he heard voices down the vent.

Snake barely recognized one of them. It was Mantis's ear-bleeding shrill voice.

Moving in more slowly, the voices became louder and clearer. Now, Snake could hear the sound of Liquid Snake's ranting and dissatisfied articulation. There seemed to be a serious discussion between him and someone else.

Reaching the end of the vent, and backing up away from the metal grating, so he was sure that nobody could see him, he listened in. Below, in a small and dark room was Liquid pacing around impatiently. Mantis was standing off in the corner, and Ocelot was sitting at a small table with Sniper Wolf across from him. Decoy Octopus was nowhere to be found.

"He's got nearly everyone flocking to Tellius for the opportunity to work under him. All the bounty hunters and mercenaries that catch whiff of the reward are immediately drawn in. It is only a matter of time before the Beast has amassed enough recruits to capture her," Ocelot, the old man, explained to Liquid.

"If that was the case, then where is our prize? We've got one of them, but that Princess is still missing. Who knows where she is now? I suggest that we put more pressure on Ganondorf-"

Ocelot cut off Liquid. "That would not be advisable. You underestimate his powers…"

"I know what that man is capable of. It's not everyday that you see someone crawl out of complete darkness and then transform into a monster of a beast," Liquid snapped back, now walking to the other side of the room.

"It's too bad we can't puppet him as we did with Wolf," the blonde clone remarked.

"He's as every part of the deal as we are, so don't bother complaining about the Beast. Besides, we have Link do we not?" Ocelot threw back.

"If being under Ganondorf's control means we have him, then sure," Liquid spat out. "We ought to get Zelda ourselves if we hope to ensure Ganondorf's part of the deal," he mused.

"I agree with you there, but our resources are limited at the moment. All the finances are going towards the new Metal-"

"Thanks for the obvious update Ocelot," Liquid growled. "But the Metal Gear will prove useless if we don't complete the Phazon experiments. Lady Wolf, I want you to go and speak with Mr. O'Donnell. I've seen the way that scoundrel eyes you. Go tell him that we require 80 more pounds of the Phazon element, or we will make sure his hopes for becoming the 47th Leader of the League will be tarnished. And don't give him any hints as to how," Liquid directed Sniper Wolf.

"Right, sir," she said, getting out of her chair and leaving the room. Snake noted a faint tone of sadness in the way she spoke to Liquid. Quite unlike the childish voice she spoke with towards him during their confrontation at the League.

"Ocelot, regardless of our financial constraints, I still think that if we don't personally nab Zelda, Ganondorf will make off with her and Link. Wouldn't that then complete the Triforce, making him all-powerful as he claimed?" Liquid asked.

"Supposedly…" Ocelot said, putting a hand to his chin.

"The Triforce…?" Snake thought to himself. "What the hell is that? And why are they after Zelda?" It was obvious that they knew she was alive, and that they had specifically targeted the decoy to snuff her out. But would she be safe where Samus was going to leave her? Snake would have to contact the bounty hunter and maybe stop her. Things seemed more perilous for the Princess. And now the truth of Link and his disappearance was made. Samus would also want to hear of that.

"So let's just-" Liquid tried to bring up.

"Silence…" Mantis chimed in.

"What is it?" Liquid asked him.

Mantis didn't reply. Instead, he walked slightly forward, in the direction of the wall that had the vent Snake was hiding behind.

"We aren't the only ones here…" Mantis spoke softly. "Somebody else, somebody familiar…"

Snake's stomach dropped. He had forgotten that Mantis could detect his presence so easily. Up until the mention of the Triforce, Snake had worked hard to keep his mind clear to avoid Mantis finding him, but he ultimately failed. He slowly began to back up in the vent shaft. He had learned enough, and it would be wise to leave. As he moved backwards, he tried to clear his thoughts.

But they kept returning to the fact that Zelda was in trouble, and that this conspiracy between Ganondorf and Wolf was real, and even included this group of sinister characters. Plus, there was the mention of a Metal Gear. Two words that burned through his brain. To face another one would be a painful reminder of this continuous and seemingly never-ending struggle he, Otacon, Mei Ling, and others had to go through.

But what did the Metal Gear have to do with the Phazon? And if there was a connection, what did Ganondorf, the Triforce, and Link and Zelda have to do with this alleged Metal Gear?

And what about the mention of Wolf wanting to be the 47th Leader? If he secured that position for himself, then the Hylian plight would be compromised!

"No, damn it!" Snake muttered to himself, pressing his eyes shut. His mind was flooded with questions, and it would only give himself away more.

He took a deep breath as he slowly lowered himself down the vertical stretch of the passageway.

All these burning questions would have to smolder in the back of his head until he left the area.

Not knowing whether Mantis had indeed found out that he was amongst them, Snake kept moving, now at a quicker pace, through the vent towards the entrance under the staircase. Once he reached it, he pulled himself out and hurriedly stood up.

The guard seemed to be outside still, as there was a faint sound of someone trying to open the door, and cursing in their own inability to do so.

Casually walking up to the door, Snake stood in front of it, leaning his head against the wooden board. He listened in as the soldier outside was grumbling to himself.

Stepping backwards, he reached for the doorknob and unlocked it.

"Huh?" the guard said, stupefied as the door slowly creaked open. Once it drifted completely to the side, Snake and the man was standing in silence, looking at each other.

"Who the-?" the man finally remarked, reaching for his gun. Before he could, Snake dove his right hand into his gear, pulling out his knife. He stepped forward and spun. As he did so, his right arm moved outwards, slashing against the guard's eyes.

"AHHHhhh!" the man yelped, as blood burst from the gaping wound Snake inflicted upon him.

"Oh shit…! God noooo!" he cried, falling to his knees, once he realized that his eyes had been cut into. The guard dropped completely to the floor, with his hands shaking above his torn eyeballs.

Snake, ignoring the man's pain, rushed passed him and ran down the alley. He didn't even bother to change his camouflage, as he was in such a hurry to just get away from the place. As he turned down another alley, it ended with a chain link fence.

But such an obstacle wouldn't stop him. As he ran forward, Snake nearly leapt onto it, then quickly climbed over and jumped down. The alleyway led to a sharp right turn. Snake had to nearly come to a stop to make it, because he was moving so quickly. In doing so, he had pivoted so rapidly, that the tracking device he had fell off of him.

Stopping to turn around and grab it, he looked down at the piece of equipment. The red light was still flashing quickly and brightly. But, that would mean Sniper Wolf was nearby! She had left before him after Liquid had instructed her, so…

Snake, wondering if it was malfunctioning, picked it up and looked it over. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The drop didn't damage it. Deciding to ignore the gadget and just turn it off, Snake put it in a more secure place amongst his gear and turned around.

As he moved at a slower pace, he noticed that there wasn't a sound in the area. Perhaps he had escaped Mantis's detection…

But then, ten yards down another separate alley, Snake heard the faint sound of footsteps. At least, that's what he thought he heard.

Diving behind a dumpster, in the opposite direction of the sound, Snake crouched and listened in. But there was nothing. He took out his binoculars and set it to thermal vision and looked around. Again, nothing.

He waited just a little longer…and then…

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Snake stood up and began to move forward. He hadn't taken more than three steps when he felt a terrible stinging sensation, and then his leg giving out.

Dropping to the ground, he saw in his left shin the familiar red circular mark of a bullet wound. And the pain was only increasing when he fell. The shrapnel must have penetrated the bone, he thought.

But Snake didn't try to take cover or hide himself for fear of being hit again. No, this was purposely done.

…That damned tracking sensor was right…

"Snake…" a feminine voice said softly to his left.

Turning his head to see the expected figure of a woman, Snake looked on as Sniper Wolf moved towards him.

But that expression, that same sadness seemed to pervade her, just as he had seen back at the building.

"Snake, what you told me was true…this handkerchief…Shadow Moses…I remember it now…" she said, looking down at him.

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**Author's Ramblings: **SOOOOO, I'm done with Finals and school for three whole months! Now I can devote all my time to writing this baby! Anyway, a lot of things have been explained in regards to the "Wolf/Ganondorf/MGS Bad Guys" conspiracy and I hope you can all follow easily enough. If there is some misunderstanding or confusion, just ask me and I can clear things up. But there are some details that will be laid out later, so I can't give away too much.

I'm happy to see that a lot of new people are reviewing this story too, as it only fans the fires of my interest to write this! And it seems that a lot of you are concerned with Ike's well-being. All I have to say about that is...keep being concerned because I'm not giving away anything yet. :D


	13. Chapter 13: Sheik

**Part One**

**Chapter Thirteen: Sheik**

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**Special Note: **Um, I guess this chapter should be rated "M". It's more in between "M" and "T". But to be honest, I really don't know shit when it comes to the specifics on ratings, and I don't feel like looking them up. But there are several adult themes. Don't worry, they are not extreme enough to scar you.

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"Excuse me!"

"Move it!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Watch it!"

That was all Sheik heard as she tired to navigate the crowded streets on Port Town Aero Dive. She had no idea of where she was going, but was hoping to scout out a hotel or some restaurant, just so she would know where to go at night. Samus had suggested to her, after all, that once the races were done and the darkness fell, the night crawlers and low-lifes would prowl the city over.

Being on this place for the first time, it was an awakening experience for the alter persona of Princess Zelda. The smells, the sights, the sounds…they were all unfamiliar yet incredibly exciting. Once she had stepped out of Samus's spaceship, a rush of adrenaline flooded through her, realizing that she would be alone for the first time in her life.

Usually, she was surrounded (as Zelda) by guards, or Impa, or Rauru, but now it was all up to her. And the independence was invigorating just as much as it was terrifying.

Having spent most of her day walking around the main downtown part of the city, Sheik was exhausted. Her feet were aching terribly, the muscles in her legs cramping, and she couldn't find a posture where her back didn't hurt. And it didn't help that the streets were so crowded with people, aliens, and other creatures, where she couldn't just stop for a moment without getting in somebody's way.

The entire man-made structure of Port Town Aero Dive was covered in extremely tall buildings; all built so close to each other, that the streets were incredibly long to occupy such expanses of concrete and glass skyscrapers and other industrial looking structures. The place was dreary in Sheik's opinion. There were no grass fields, no trees, lakes, or other reminders of a natural environment that she was accustomed to on Hylia.

But then, up ahead down the road, Sheik could see a clearing. It looked like a bridge. Following the current of the crowd, she trudged her way over to it. Once she reached it, she allowed her torso to press against and slump over the railing. She was exhausted and what little support the bridge provided felt like a godsend.

Resting her eyes, she reopened them only to have finally noticed that the sun was setting. The sky was an amber shade of orange, and a red glow emanated from the horizon. It would be dark in about an hour she assumed, and she would have to get off the streets.

Just to draw out her rest a little longer, Sheik looked downwards. Below the bridge was an asphalt road, with bright and pink glowing edges, that seemed to represent some kind of energy barricade. There was also a pink stripe of three lines, shaped as an arrow in the center of the road. Perhaps this was the F-Zero race track that Samus said was a part of this planetary-like structure.

Giving one last stretch and a yawn, Sheik turned herself around to face the crowd and find some place to stay. But just as she turned, she ran into someone, stumbling backwards and onto her rear, hitting the pavement fairly hard. And in that awkward moment, she had let out a loud and masculine gasp, which unintentionally escaped her mouth.

Now, as she sat upon the ground with people and aliens having to angrily move around her, she looked up to see who she had bumped into.

It was a tall and very muscular man, with a blue skin-tight suit, that had an almost glossy sheen. The man had yellow gloves and red boots, and as she moved her eyes upwards toward the face, he looked as if he was wearing a mask, along with a red helmet.

On what appeared to be a mask, there were white narrow eyes against a dark background. And they were looking down at her.

"Sorry sir!" the man said hastily, reaching a hand out to help her up. She gave him a look of disbelief because he addressed her as "sir", but then she remembered that Sheik was rather androgynous with an emphasis on masculinity. So she graciously accepted the kind offer and he helped her up.

She hadn't expected such kindness on this part of the galaxy from the experience of her short time on Port Town Aero Dive. His unexpected generosity prompted Sheik to consider whether to ask him if he knew where the best restaurant or hotel to stay at was. But before she could open her mouth, he moved off into the crowds, nearly disappearing.

"Maybe he's going to some place to eat…I could just follow him…" she thought.

And so she began to trail the man she had bumped into. At first they were moving against the sea of people, making it difficult for her to keep up, but then he turned down a different street, one that was less populated.

Breaking free from the swarm of the crowds, Sheik saw as the man walked down a fleet of stairs, to a place that went below the surface of the streets. Back on Hylia, that sort of location was usually meant for bars or eclectic sort of shops, but she wasn't on her home planet, and so she shouldn't make any assumptions.

But as she walked down those same stairs, a smoky odor was wafting out of the door below, and there seemed to be a lot of noise emanating through the walls. Perhaps, things really weren't that different from planet to planet.

Opening the door, a puff of grey smoke brushed across her face, burning her eyes. An odor of sweat, smoke, greasy food, and alcohol blew into her face. It was a warm and sweltering sort of air that came at her, and only became stronger as she stepped in.

Once she got a better look, Sheik could make out a bar on one side of the room, and an oddly placed stage on the other. It was exactly as she had presumed. Shrugging it off, in hopes of just getting some food, she went further into the bar. And as she did, she saw something she had never encountered before, even on Hylia.

Up on the stages were women, of all different species, moving around seductively with little or no clothing on. And below them, sitting on chairs, were men (and some women) cheering and making obscene gestures that only seemed to make the performers smile and work harder.

Whether in disguise as a man or not, Sheik felt amazingly uncomfortable. She wanted to turn around and get out as fast as she could. She had never seen such a bizarre combination of women wanting to be publicly naked, especially in front of men, and to have the men cheering them on. It simply did not make sense to her.

"You are a long way from home…" she mused to herself, turning her body around to leave. And once again, Sheik moved before she looked, bumping into someone.

"Haaeey! Get the hell out of my way, boy!" the person responded.

It was a very large and seemingly drunk man, with a turned up pig nose, thinning hair, deformed ears, and several missing teeth. He was almost stranger looking than the naked women on the stage, and Sheik slightly shuddered at the sight of him and backed off. The man glared angrily at her, as he walked around. Behind him came two other men, one with plain features, wearing a helmet with goggles, and an assortment of other old-time aviation gear. The other person was an attractive young man, with deep, dark skin with slight blue tones and bright cat-like green eyes. He had long black hair that sprawled across his shoulders and chest.

And as he passed Sheik, he narrowed his eyes and gave her a playful grin. The three men seemed like a ragtag group, as none of them looked like they belonged to the same planet.

Once they had walked by her, they sat down at the bar and began ordering up some food and drinks. The man with the long dark hair turned his head slightly and looked back at Sheik.

She had forgotten that she was gawking and still watching the men, and when he looked back at her, she felt a twinge of shock run up her spine. Turning herself away, feeling her face getting hot not just from the embarrassment, but from the growing humidity within the bar, she again went to the door.

Only this time, she looked before she moved.

"Hey, what's a tough looking, mysterious young man like you not giving me the time of day?" a woman spoke from behind her.

"Oh god…" Sheik thought to herself, stopping in her tracks. "This woman thinks I am a man…"

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" the woman's voice got louder, and Sheik felt a hand pulling on her shoulder. How would she deal with this? Tell the woman that she's actually of the female gender and just dresses herself up and down in the most extravagant way to look like a man? If these people were liquored up, they'd probably assume she was getting wise with them if she used that excuse.

Allowing herself to be turned around, Sheik was now facing the woman. She had no top on, except for an incredible and ornate gold necklace that hung over most of her chest. She had tight brown pants, and shoes with such pointed heels that they could almost kill a man. Her hair was silver, and on her skin were lines and dots in all kinds of shapes and intricate designs. It looked like a massive full body tattoo, but something about it suggested it was just her natural skin.

"At the least, get yourself a drink. I'll let you watch me from afar," the half-naked woman winked, turning away, and putting down a few drinks in front of some men, then moving over to the stage.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't kill to just eat. Seems like I might offend someone if I don't," Sheik considered.

Walking over to the bar, she sat down one seat away from the man with the long and dark hair. She could feel him watching her, and saw through the corner of her vision, his face positioned in her direction.

"What'll it be, sir," the bartender asked her. Sheik couldn't tell the gender of the bartender. It seemed more androgynous than herself. A plain figure, with a simple and long tunic on. Plain humanoid-features on the face as well. Ah well. At least she wasn't the only one here walking the thin gender line.

"Just some soup…and bread," Sheik spoke aloud, with her muffled boyish voice. She had seen someone else eating just that, so she knew one thing this bar offered.

The bartender nodded its head and walked past the group of men that Sheik had bumped into, and through a sliding door at the back of the room. But before it passed through the door, the attractive young man said something softly to it, and the barista nodded in return

.

Once it returned to Sheik, placing a bowl of soup and bread in front of her, the bartender worked on something behind the counter, and brought it to her as well. It was some kind of drink, with strange black goo on the top. The bartender subsequently lit it on fire, and Sheik watched in wonder as the black substance burned off.

Turning her head to her right, she saw as the black haired man had the same drink, and was lifting his hand for a toast. Not wanting to offend anyone, Sheik obligingly did the same. Then, as was common after a toast, she downed the drink.

A burning sensation engulfed her mouth and spread down her throat. The drink was stronger than any she had ever tasted on Hylia, though she only sipped on red wines. Sheik nearly choked on it, it was so unexpected and strong. She tried to hide her reaction, but it was obvious to the men on the right that they had seen it, as they all broke out in laughter.

The one that had been watching her moved over to the seat beside her. He still had that playful grin on his face, only now words came out of it.

"My name's Mauro, what's yours?" he asked.

"…Sheik," she responded, as quietly as she could.

"Mind if I sit with you? My friends aren't exactly fair on the eyes, unlike yourself,' he told her.

Her heart began to pound heavily. Now she was in a real fix. Here she was, disguised as a male, with a man hitting on her. Everything about this bar was really starting to get to her.

"What exactly are you? Those red eyes…I've never seen such before…" he moved his face in towards hers.

Sheik moved backwards to his advance. She began to eat faster, because she didn't want to stay here much longer.

"That's okay, I like the strong and silent type…" the man now rested his hand upon her thigh. She flinched in response, which only seemed to make him grip it harder.

The bartender, who had been now directing its attention to the two, moved towards them. The man subsequently backed off as he did, taking his hand off her thigh.

Sheik gave the bartender a look of thanks, though there was no indication that it understood entirely that she was being harassed. It resumed its duty of cleaning cups and plates.

And now, as she was finishing her soup, the man next to her continued to watch her from the corner of his eyes.

"So much for finding that man who helped me earlier," she mused to herself. "And so much for assuming he was a decent person, considering he came here. I might as well end this as soon as possible. There seems to be no good people in this place."

But Samus _had_ briefly warned her of the things that go on at night at Port Town Aero Dive. So Sheik shouldn't have been surprised about the encounters she had, especially being at a strip bar.

Done with her food and wanting nothing more than to leave, Sheik pulled out some Hylian currency and gave it to the bartender. She kept it as hidden in her hand as much as she could, and didn't give it over until the barista realized it had to be taken exclusively from her hand. Once it took it, the person pulled the money close to its face, and then a smirk appeared.

"Haven't seen Hylian Rupees in some time. Such a rarity for one to be out here of all places," the seemingly genderless humanoid spoke from behind the counter. It put away the currency, and moved on to do more work.

"So much for keeping that a secret," Sheik angrily thought to herself, narrowing her eyes. She looked to Mauro, hoping he hadn't heard. But he wasn't seated next to her anymore. He was standing in between his two friends, saying something to them. Once he finished, the three looked at her in unison.

"Oh…shit…" Sheik muttered, not giving a damn about her use of foul language. She got up from her seat and hurried to the door. At the same time, she was trying to act casual, as if she hadn't noticed how they had looked at her. She didn't want to let on that she was rushing away from them.

Standing up for the first time since sitting and eating, she felt extremely lightheaded and faint. Moving over to the door, her feet felt heavy and sluggish. And her eyelids were growing tired, and every movement she made felt exaggerated.

Darting from one thing to another, her eyeballs couldn't stop moving, even as she tried to focus in on one particular thing. Small, bright lights seemed to hover across the room, and they were growing in number.

"What is happening…!?" she suddenly felt very scared. Was she drunk? No, but it was close to a drunk feeling. The only other time she had felt this wasted was when she snuck out of the royal castle when Link invited her to Hyrule's most underrated hangout, Telma's bar, where the Adventurer's Guild operated. That was a good time…

But this, this was different. It was more like she was given some kind of drug. Colors and shapes were becoming more distinct and sharper. Sounds were more amplified, and the one time feeling of sluggishness turned into ethereal and airy movements.

Sheik was now at the door to exit the bar, but each time she tried to grasp the handle, her hand would just wisp by it, not able to grab on. Watching as she made another attempt, her hand this time detached from her arm and crawled across the wall, away from her.

"Oh god…" she slurred aloud. Things were getting increasingly surreal.

She knew she was under some kind of drug, but where had it come from? How had she ingested it? Closing her eyes to allow herself to think and ignore the growing hallucinations, she nodded off and her head hit the door.

"Uhhmm…" she was now speaking loudly, unable to tell the difference in tones and unable to fully control herself. "The food….that woman…the stripper…no…the man…the black haired man…Mauro…the drink…the alcohol…the fiery drink…the bartender gave to me…the toast…the burning sensation…"

To Sheik, her utterances made sense, but to anyone that was listening in, it would have sounded completely insane. She was on a long train of thought, trying to remember everything, but whatever substance she had consumed was beginning to take over completely.

Now, instead of speaking and thinking, all that came to her mind were images. And in the sequence of events that transpired at the bar, it all came down to the drink she had. The drink Mauro had bought for her. It was in that drink. It had to be.

"Ahhhnnnnooo….ssttthhheee duuhhhiiinnnnkkkk…" Sheik mumbled.

"Yes, it _was_ the drink," a familiar voice said behind her. She anchored her head slightly to see who it was. What she saw was Mauro, and his two friends behind her, with devilish grins on their faces.

"So, that's why you wouldn't talk. You are a Hylian. They are wanted up and down this galaxy. Oh yes, and such a big reward for getting the right one. And it's awfully suspect to find a Hylian out here, of all places. Is there something you're hiding…?" Mauro asked her.

Sheik slowly turned herself completely around and slumped against the door. Her eyes rolled back and she was sweating profusely. She tried to deny his accusations, but it was no use. Her vocal chords didn't seem to work. Her tongue couldn't articulate words.

"There must be, because you wouldn't answer my question back at the counter," Mauro said, moving his face closer to hers. Sheik could only push back against the door as far as she could.

"You acted so coy, so _suspicious…_" the black haired man grinned so widely, that she could see his third molars. Under the dim lighting and with such a devious smile, Mauro didn't look so attractive anymore. In fact, his eyes looked like they were bulging out of the socket, about to fall out or explode. His pupils turned into vertical slits like a cat would during the day. Dark shadows formed across his face, creating ghastly dimples and pits that made him more look sinister. But Sheik couldn't tell if this was actually happening or just a hallucination.

"I think it's time we got going, wouldn't you agree Gethin?" Mauro told his pig-nose friend that Sheik had bumped into earlier. The fat man only seemed to chuckle in response, moving over to the door and opening it.

As he did, Sheik stumbled backwards, as she had put all her weight against it. Falling onto the ground, the three men walked around her, on all sides. Although she had fallen and was lying on the ground, she felt like she was floating, hovering lightly above the asphalt. She wanted nothing more than to just stay there, to fall asleep, and to forget about all of this…

"Get him up. The effect won't last much longer. And we'll need to prep our ship for Tellius," the dark haired man said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**The Author (Again): **Ahahah, I only torture some of you more by not hinting at Ike's condition! I'll stop that and soon, though. And yes, there was a correlation between the drink Sheik was served, and the same one that Ike was. And similarities between Mauro and the woman Ike met. That was intentional, but not really significant in terms of the storyline.

So I thought I'd make this a slightly humorous chapter by having both genders accost Sheik. Well, that's what you get when you have gender confusion. XD

Anyway, I like the ideas some of you are stating about the Metal Gear being powered by both Phazon and the Triforce. That's sorta close to what I've planned, but not quite. ...You'll see.

Oh, and who was that man that Sheik bumped into by the bridge? Heheh...


	14. Chapter 14: Ike

**Part One**

**Chapter Fourteen: Ike**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

**Note: **This chapter is rated M.

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

With a heavy, pounding headache, Ike awoke inside of what appeared to be a tent. He could see the light emanating from outside, with the tent walls just barely keeping the place dark. It was rather small, with hastily positioned blankets on the ground and a couple more underneath him forming a makeshift bed.

"Where am I?" he thought to himself.

The last thing he remembered was being in a dark cave...then he blanked out.

"The cave..." Ike remembered. The place where the scorpion woman was.

"Was that real? Or a dream..." he asked himself aloud. Maybe he had drunk too much at that bar back in the city and had wandered about, hallucinating. Perhaps someone had slipped him a drug or that the local drinks just had these effects.

"I think he's awake," a voice from outside said.

Ike could only wonder as to whom that was. He waited, sitting in the tent to see what would happen. A few moments later, a man, wrapped in all sorts of cloth, came into the tent, folding back the flap entrance.

"So you are," the stranger said to Ike.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Ailean," the man told him. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Vaguely," Ike replied.

"You were after my herd. My Uloloki. My brother, Aodh, was lucky enough to have stopped me; else I would have killed you."

"Killed me?" Ike asked incredulously.

"Yes. I thought you nothing more than a mere wolf going after my stock. But, like I said, my brother saw you changing back into your human form right as I was about to kill you. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Ummm…no, not really. What's an Uloloki?" Ike simply stated.

"Come out here," the man known as Ailean seemed to say with a pinch of impatience.

Ike followed him out of the tent. Once outside, he noticed that they were in the middle of a desert. The air was crisp, but very warm. A midday sort of heat. A few patches of grass and thinning trees were scattered about.

Underneath the trees were strange hoofed creatures. They were beige all over, except for a black stripe going from the top of the head, along the spine, and to the tail. They also had blood red lines down the side of their long snouts. Most of them had large antlers. Two on each side of the forehead, curving upwards and behind the head and arching back underneath the chins.

"That's the Uloloki, my herd," Ailean said, pointing to the largest group of the hoofed animals.

"And I was…hunting them…?" Ike questioned. Even though he was the serious sort, saying that almost made him want to laugh. That, coupled with the fact that this whole situation seemed ridiculous…

Ailean sighed and turned to Ike.

"You foreigners think those legends are all just fun adventure games, right? But you're lucky you're alive, you know. I should've killed you last night. I really should have," the man told him.

The mood was immediately thrown back to a solemn tone.

"Legends…?" Ike said aloud, inquisitively. That word sparked something in his head.

"Oh god, that cave, that woman-"

"You are remembering better now? I hope so. I hope that you also remember that any second now you could turn back into that wolf beast. The desert wargs are powerful mages, as you must now recall. And that was no dream or hallucination. You'll soon experience the wolf form again. "

"Wolf form…?" Ike said again, in the same confused manner.

"Yes…you have been cursed. You have sought out the answer to those legends, and you have become a warg. A changeling. Do you understand?" Ailean asked him.

"…uhhh…" Ike blinked his eyes several times and brought his hand to his forehead.

"Yes…I do now…that scorpion woman…the white fur…yes…it makes sense now…" he said, remembering barely how he had fallen to the ground in a cave, and had seen fur rupturing from his skin.

But why was he there? What had compelled him to seek out these so-called "legends?" He was on his way back to Tellius to infiltrate the laguz factions, when something or someone interrupted him. That had to be the reason.

"I want you to leave," Ailean said, breaking the silence. "Get as far away from my herd, my brother, and I. Leave this desert, leave this planet, and go find yourself a place of solitude where nobody will want to kill you because of your other form. This is the outcome of your decision to come out here. Hate to put it so harshly, but you chose your fate," he gave Ike a fierce and stern look.

"I have prepared for you one of my Uloloki. You'll have to ride it back to the city, which is in that direction, where the sun rises," he instructed, pointing in the precise direction.

"These animals are not entirely meant for riding, but you'll have to make do. This is all I have. I'll honestly lose more if you stay around anyway," Ailean explained.

Ike nodded. Now it all made sense. The white fur, the wolf beast…the laguz tribes…he could now infiltrate the radical factions under this changeling curse. But it was such an extreme measure. He would never have willingly done this to himself, so what had prompted him?

He pondered that as he and Ailean walked over to another man wrapped all over in blankets. The man was standing next to one of the Uloloki.

"Aodh," Ailean called out. "This is Ike. He'll be taking this one into the city."

The man known as Aodh handed Ike reins that were attached to the animal. It didn't appreciate that something was wrapped around its head, but its only complaint was ruffling its head every now and then.

"Thank you, both of you. Aodh?" Ike turned to him.

The man only shifted his head in his direction.

"Thanks for…letting me live."

The man nodded slightly, as Ike lifted himself onto the creature. It balked under the weight, but Ike quickly got it under control. He then looked over to the direction where he would take off to. The wind blew in his face. His cape fluttered in the breeze, and for the moment it was the only sound in the middle of the desert. That was, until Ike squeezed the Uloloki's torso, signaling to go.

"Eeeya!" he cried, as the animal whinnied in distress, moving under Ike's command. Holding its head up high, the creature, with Ike in tow, trotted off and away from the camp.

Ike didn't even say goodbye or looked back. There would have been no use in doing so. He could sense the tension while he was with the two herding brothers. He could tell their disdain for him. But they had a good reason, he mused. Ike had done something completely irrational and foolish.

It wasn't his fault though. In his recollection, he recalled who had brought him out here.

"Soren…" Ike murmured, gritting his teeth. His black haired assistant would be hearing it soon from him.

"How could he have done this to me?" he thought. Ike knew that Soren was a bit off, even though the two were close friends. Ever since he became part of the Greil mercenary team, Soren was the one person he could trust. The one who never turned his back on him or doubted any of his decisions. But everyone else thought something odd of Soren. That he was too rude, bitingly pragmatic, or just socially dysfunctional.

But now Ike had to doubt Soren.

"I could have been killed…twice last night!" he spat out, the rage within him building as he mulled over last night and the fact that Soren had proposed to him to go out there.

Ike was now clutching the reins with an extremely firm grip. His jaw was aching from the pressure he was exerting on it. While he knew that Soren had put him in a dangerous position, it was also a well calculated idea to have gone out here and investigated the rumors. Ike knew that he probably would never successfully infiltrate the laguz any other way, without assuming some kind of disguise. And perhaps that was what embittered him the most.

The fact that Soren was right. As he usually was.

"Let's just hope he has a good idea for reversing this…curse…" Ike mumbled. He whipped the reins, stirring the animal to go faster. He wouldn't want to transform now. Especially not with prey beneath him.

He'd have to get to the main city, and then back to the train. The sooner he would leave this place, the better.

- - -

It had been about three hours before Ike returned to the city. His inner legs and rear were sore and achy from riding bareback. He was slightly slumped over, looking down towards the ground. There had been no stops along the way, and he was tired, hungry, and very uncomfortable.

As he moved through the crowds, still atop the Uloloki, he directed it towards the train depot. It wasn't long before they finally reached it, and Ike climbed off of it. Stirring the creature to face the opposite direction, he let go of the reins, and it walked off back to the city. Maybe it would find its way back, or someone else would take it. Ike didn't really care. At the least, he hadn't made lunch out of it.

After paying his fare, Ike walked onto the train. His stance and movements felt and looked slightly bow-legged, as he had spent three hours riding atop the Uloloki. Once he sat down on a seat in the train, he pushed himself back and sighed. Closing his eyes, he realized he had never felt so relaxed and satisfied than in this very moment. Soon, he would return to his home planet of Tellius, see his good friends, and be away from all this chaos…

"No…that's not true. Not even at home can I be away from it all…" he thought, remembering the war between Altea and Tellius, and that he would have to proceed with the mission he promised to Zelda.

But not now anyway. In this moment he could just sleep. Drifting off, his body shifted to the right and rested against the wall of the train. Pressing against the window, Ike's face moved back and forth from the rumbling of the train on the tracks, as he quickly fell asleep.

- - -

_Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep_

"Huhnn…? Wha…?" Ike's groggy voice said aloud, to no one in particular. Opening his eyes, he discovered that he was still on the train. He looked out the window and saw nothing but miles and miles of desert.

"Oh man…" he spoke again, rubbing his face. Propping himself up more appropriately against the seat, he gave himself a long stretch and then resumed to his sleeping pose against the wall.

_Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep_

"Huh? Oh…" Ike, startled by the sound, sat up again and pulled out the COM device he carried on him. It was just recently, when he joined up with that Prion bounty hunter that he needed such a gadget.

"Uh…Hello?" the blue haired mercenary asked.

"Ike, it's me, Soren," the voice responded.

"Soren? Oh good, it's about time. What took you so long? Think I was dead?" Ike harshly remarked.

"I had tried to contact you about 12 hours ago but you wouldn't pick up. What's the problem?" Soren asked.

"Oh don't act like you don't know! Remember why you sent me here? Do you?" Ike pestered the red-eyed assistant.

There was a long pause that only irked Ike more.

"…So…it worked…I mean, the rumors. The legends, it's all true? Is that why you are angry?" Soren finally answered, and with another question.

"Yeah, it worked. It worked so well, so wonderfully well, that you're still able to hear my voice, still able to speak to me. You know Soren…you know…god, no you _don't_," Ike began to get slightly choked up, as the extreme feelings of fear and near-death experiences were finally flooding over whatever lid he had tried to put on it.

"I…I saw…a scorpion…woman…thing, and I turned into…" he remembered what Ailean had said about him chasing the herds, and the pain that he felt when his body was transforming and contorting into the wolf form. "I turned into a _monster! _I've been cursed. It's almost like I have no control too! I could've killed an innocent person! Soren, you should have told me! I should have been _told_…" he murmured the last part to himself.

"Ike…you would not have wanted to do this…you know that. And as to what you had been put through, I'm…well, there's no fitting word, but 'sorry' will have to do. I know I owe you a lot for this. But I had faith in you. I knew you could make it out alive and well. You've always been like that…" Soren's voice trailed off.

Ike paused and decided to think before speaking. It was something he rarely ever did, but in moments of tremendous anger, it just naturally occurred. He knew Soren meant well. And that his unwavering faith and trust in him was certainly there. But something would have to change. There would be nothing more kept hidden between the two.

"Soren, I'll forgive you this time. Honest. You're one of my closest friends, so there is no way I can ever disown you, but…"

"But what?" Soren asked.

"You will never hide anything from me, ever again. Not even if you believe I would dismiss it for the world. There will no secrets, no holding back, nothing like that at all. And I will not disregard any idea you would have, no matter how far fetched. Got it?" Ike explained.

"…Yes. Sounds good to me," Soren stated.

There was a momentary pause in their conversation. Ike noticed as the train was coming to a stop.

"I gotta go. But we'll talk later, okay Soren? I'll be back at Tellius within 6 hours. You must brief everyone on what has happened here. Titania, Rhys, Boyd, Oscar…even Mist. They must all know. I don't want anyone trying to kill me, or get killed, if I should return in my beast form," Ike said.

"Right, I'll fill them in on all the details. You needn't worry," Soren finished, closing the line.

Once their talk was over, Ike felt a little better. He had pretty much given Soren an easy second chance, but what else could you do with your best friend?

Standing up from his seat, Ike walked towards the exit and left the train. He boarded a transport spacecraft, and sat as far away from other people as possible.

- - -

It had been about 6 hours as Ike had proposed to Soren, but the mercenary finally made it back to Tellius, and without transforming back into the wolf form. He had been mainly dozing off the entire way, but every now and then he'd have a nightmare or a day dream, where he was back on his home planet, but running around and attacking humans and other animals as the white wolf that the scorpion woman had transformed him into.

It had taken him a while to fully remember, but the last words she had said to him were, "a white beast…must be a pure heart." Or something like that. What could she have possibly meant by it?

After getting off the spaceship, Ike planted his two feet onto the dirt road that was prevalent on Tellius. The planet was rich in natural surroundings. There were mountains, great forests, vast oceans, blue skies, and grassy plains.

It was good to be home.

As he walked forward to check out and pay his full fare at the small station on the landing pad, he was greeted by the red-haired woman known as Titania. A former knight under the Crimean Army, she was a woman of few words, but a striking warrior on the battlefield. As Ike recalled, few beorc (humans), or laguz (changlings), would ever walk away unscathed from a match between whoever the unlucky soul was, and the blade of her axe.

Standing by her horse, in her signature white armor, she smiled at the sight of him.

"Ike…" she said.

"Titania. It's good to see you. No, it's great to see you. And it's great to be back," Ike's first words to her in a while.

"Ah, a little emotional is the commander, no?" she teased him.

"Well, can you blame me?" he asked her.

"No…I cannot," her voice became serious and her face darkened. Soren had indeed told everyone of his experience on Arachnida.

"Let's get back to the base. And quick. As you know, I've got a lot of things planned…" his voice drifted off into the wind.

"I know Ike," Titania remarked, stopping at her horse, and then whistling to call in another. Turning to face him directly, she gave a half smile and then climbed on top of her steed.

"Your sister has been eagerly awaiting your arrival," she said, spurning the horse around and beginning a slow trot to allow Ike time for him to climb atop his horse.

He dreaded having to ride on another animal, but there was little choice for him. Although most of the galaxy was superior in technology, and very little, if not most planets did not use animals as transport, Tellius remained true in its traditions.

They had finally reached the fort by sunset. Ike and Titania had a long conversation about new intelligence gathered on the radical laguz factions, about how they were growing in numbers. She described to him in detail of their fear tactics and how they recruited new members. Ike cringed at most of the stories, and could only hope that his new mission could bring an end to it all. There really should be no hostilities between Altea and Tellius, he thought to himself. Only somebody with cruel and malevolent intentions could have forged the two as enemies in the past year.

As the two came upon the entrance gate, Ike could hear a warm and bright voice calling out to him.

"Ike…! Ike…!" his sister Mist yelled. She may be much older and less naïve than during the Crimean-Daein War, but she still had that innocent and exuberant voice.

Ike could also hear the groan of annoyance as Mist was impatiently instructing Boyd, another close friend of Ike, to open the steel gate and let her through. And once it was open, her slender figure came bounding towards her brother, who was still on the horse.

"Ike! Oh it's so good to see you!" a great smile was beaming from one corner of her face to the other.

Ike chuckled in response to her enthusiasm, but he had very little strength to embrace the reunion wholeheartedly. That and the thought in the back of his head that any minute now he would transform and be a danger to them all.

Climbing off of the horse, he asked Mist if she could bring it back to the stables. She wasn't so happy to already be receiving a direct order, coming from her brother and all, but she obliged.

Walking forward, Boyd came from behind the gate and nodded to him. Although the man was always cheery, he gave Ike a quiet greeting.

"They all know…" he said to himself.

Once he reached the main house, Rhys, their healing mage, came out from the great door. His orange hair and bright white robes nearly burned Ike's eyes, as he was becoming increasingly tired.

"This way Ike. Soren and I have prepared a special room for you to rest in, which I am sure would be most appropriate for you right now," Rhys instructed him.

"Great," Ike thought sarcastically. He knew that the room was made "special" because they were all worried that he would turn into the wolf and possibly kill them. And that the room would probably have special locks or guards or something…But he would have done the same, if any other member was under such a circumstance.

And Ike's assumptions were dead on. The room had a guard standing at attention, and there were a number of locks and bolts.

"Please excuse the…umm…" Rhys searched for the proper, most polite way to put it.

"Don't bother Rhys. I understand," Ike said, walking in and shutting the door. Inside were wooden floors and a small barred window. This was the makeshift prison they had. But no matter to Ike. He was dreadfully tired and the one bed the room had looked more comfortable and inviting than a great fire after a long trek through the snow.

"Let the guard know if you need anything," Rhys called out from beyond the door.

Ike threw himself to the white sheets on the bed and sprawled across the mattress. Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes and once again fell asleep.

- - - -

He woke up startled and in a cold sweat. It was night already, and his body was shivering and twitching. Ike felt the familiar itching and tingling sensation that was slowly overcoming every inch of his skin.

"No…no…not now!" he said, in a highly frustrated tone.

Rolling off of the mattress and falling to the hard floor, Ike was panting and breathing sporadically. He began to crawl towards the steel door, moving in and out of the moonlight that was casting a soft, white glow through the window and onto the ground.

"Soren…Titania...ANYONE??" he screamed, with a twinge of agony in his voice. His entire body collapsed against the floor, and his right cheek pressed into the cold ground. He hoped to hell that somebody had heard him. They had to know what was happening.

It had taken about a minute before he could feel the vibrations of hurried footsteps through the floor, getting closer to the door. There were voices murmuring just outside of the room, and the locks were being rattled and taken apart.

Ike could only hope that there wasn't going to be too many people checking in on him. The transformation was beginning, but at a much slower pace than the first time. The aching and deep rooted nerve pain hadn't set in yet.

The door finally burst open, and Ike could see Titania, Boyd, Soren, and Rhys rushing in, and subsequently sealing it again.

"Oh god, it's happening," Soren said, moving to Ike's side down at the ground.

"What do we do??" Boyd sounded frantic and worried.

"Boyd, I need you to make sure nobody else comes in here or hears of this! Especially Mist. She doesn't need to know, not now anyways. And clear a path!" Soren told him.

"Okay…yeah…alright…sure," Boyd was reiterating to himself, his eyes darting around as if in deep thought. He finally exited.

"Rhys, you have the potion, right? I need you to give it to Ike now. We have to hold this off as long as we can," Soren said. He then turned to look down at Ike.

"I'm sorry Ike, but the mission isn't ready yet. But the fact that you are transforming now is good. Listen…it's really hard to explain…but…I think Titania told you earlier today, right?" Soren glanced up at Titania for her response, so he would know that she had told Ike.

"Told me what? Remember our promise Soren??" Ike's voice was strained and hoarse. The pain was getting worse.

"About how the fringe laguz groups are recruiting new members? The initiation rituals? Right?" Soren moved his head closer as if assuming that Ike was in such pain that he couldn't hear right.

Ike lifted his shaking hand up and pushed away Soren. "Yeah…I remember. What about them?" he said, recalling how Titania had told him about them during their horse ride back to the base.

As Soren explained to him in greater detail how there were underground fighting rings where laguz would have to prove their prowess by fighting each other to the death, just to make a spot in the extremist splinter groups, Ike propped himself up and watched his arm in morbid fascination.

There seemed to be something "bubbling" underneath his skin. It was both incredibly disgusting and interesting to look at.

"Ike, you need to take this," Rhys handed him a bottle with some strange, thick liquid in it. It was a dark green color. Ike gave Rhys a dissatisfied look.

"Sorry Ike," the orange haired mage shrugged and then backed off.

After drinking the potion, Ike could feel the pain subsiding to a degree. He sighed in relief, but it was much too soon for that sort of feeling.

"Alright, I hope that will make the journey into the woods more bearable," Soren said.

"What??" Ike asked in disbelief. Was that some kind of sick joke? Did he hear right?

"Ike, we cannot lose this opportunity. You're changing into your beast form, so if our plan of infiltration is going to work, we need to leave now! It's the perfect time anyway, as most of the fights take place at night!" Soren explained to him.

"He's right, Ike. And besides…as I am sure you know…that…" Titania was stumbling on her words, which only irritated Ike, as he knew what she was trying to get at.

"I know…" he grumbled. "I shouldn't be here like this anyway."

Ike began to slowly stand up. His legs were wobbling and his posture was horribly slumped in his pain. Soren and Titania came to Ike's side and helped him along.

As they walked down the halls to get to the back door to exit, Ike was trying hard to stifle his cries of pain. He was hanging his head down and watching each step he made, wondering when he would finally be able to sit back down and not put up with this anymore.

"It's not too much further Ike," Titania whispered to him. The three were trying to keep as quiet as they could, to not bother the others. They passed by Boyd who was slowly walking around and making sure their path was clear.

Once they left the building, Titania helped Ike up atop her horse. She then climbed up and sat behind him. Her arms wrapped around him and held onto the reins. Soren was still standing on the ground, watching the two.

"You remember the place Titania?" the assistant asked her.

"Of course, Soren," she hastily said, spurring the horse and hurriedly leaving the fort. Ike gripped onto the back of the horse's head and rested his body against it. He watched Soren standing at the steel gate of the base, his silhouette becoming smaller and smaller the further away they got.

"Ike," Titania began. "Let me know when the pain gets worse. I'm going to bring you as close to the private grounds of these fighting rings, but I cannot stay with you if you begin to finally warp into your other form."

"I understand," Ike remarked.

For the rest of their journey, neither of them said a word. Most of the ride was through a dense forest, and at times Titania had to work real hard to make sure the horse didn't injure itself through the thickets.

But after about thirty minutes, Ike, through the slits of his eyelids, could see lights up ahead. Opening his eyes fully now, there were several lights, forming a circle.

Titania stopped behind a tree. They were about 100 yards away now. The sounds of beasts and birds and the cries of humans could be heard. Some were cheering, some were shouting angrily, and others seemed to be calling out for mercy. It sent a shiver up Ike's already pained spine.

"Ike, that's it," Titania told him. "You should wait here until you transform," she advised, getting off of her horse. "They generally think lower of those who arrive in their human form."

"Yeah…" Ike grimaced, while stepping down onto the ground. "Ack…Ahh…damn it…!" he got low to the ground and his body was shaking more.

"Leave, Titania. I can take it from here…" he told her.

But she didn't move. She stepped closer, and Ike could sense she was afraid for him.

His head snapped back and his eyes began to bulge.

"Leave now! Go!" he cried out to her.

The red haired woman promptly walked away, got onto her horse, and left.

The white fur was beginning to rupture underneath his pale flesh. Titania must have noticed this, as she had quickly left him without saying anything.

His cries of anguish could no longer be contained. Ike was going through the worst of the process. The long wolf snout formed and pushed itself forwards on his face. Sharp canines jutted from his gums, and a long tongue fell from his mouth. The joints of his legs and arms inverted and transformed into the shape and bulk of a wolf's.

It only took about five minutes before he had finally changed completely.

But this time was different. Ike remembered how he had passed out the first transformation from the pain, and the overwhelming new senses. Now, however, he felt more alive and awake than ever. From where he was, he could smell the scent of sweat and blood. He could hear distinctly every shout, every step on the dirt ground, and every single breath the laguz up ahead were making.

Before running over to the fighting ring, Ike felt the inclination to howl. And this he did. He then bounded off for the initiation…to begin his plan…

Once he approached the area, he could see more vividly the sheer number of laguz that were there. How could they be gaining so much popularity? It hurt him a bit to think of how many of the beast and bird tribesmen and women were reverting back to their prejudices by joining up with these radical factions.

It was touted as the opportunity to fight in the "Great War with the humans," Ike recalled, from his previous scouting missions. Stirring up such old and deep rooted hatred was a dirty and foul tactic, but it seemed to work, and well. But the Altean's never deserved this war. They never had any business with the laguz…

"Ahh!" the sound a laguz beast in his human form gave upon noticing Ike as the white wolf.

'Wow, look at that!" another one said, pointing at Ike.

There was a lull between fighting, he could tell, as nobody was in the great ring.

A giant hawk flew down beside him and gave him an inquisitive look.

"Have you come here beast, to fight and show yourself as worthy to the Cause? I have never seen the likes of you before…" it spoke through the large, sharp beak.

But Ike wasn't a true laguz, and therefore could not speak as the wolf. So, he nodded in agreement.

The hawk narrowed its eyes and looked him over again. He then turned to see the opinion of the other laguz around him, who only gave a silent look of approval.

"Alright, follow me," it motioned, flapping its wings and moving across the arena.

As Ike passed along the sides of the circle to follow, he caught a glimpse of a dead body on the ground within the fighting enclosure. It was a beast laguz, with a massive, deep claw mark in its neck. And its body was being dragged off.

A feeling of fear passed through Ike, but to his amazement, it was short lived and only replaced with adrenaline. Perhaps this was a perk of his wolf form.

Before getting any further, a large man stopped him.

"Don't move," a muscular person said. He had red hair, a large jaw, and beady eyes. Two small, cat-like ears jutted from the top of his head, and a tail swept and swatted along the dirt terrain.

He gave Ike an obnoxiously long stare before nodding and motioning to follow him. This Ike did, only to stand before the same hawk once again.

"You two will fight. Change now red haired one, and prove your worth as a warrior against this white enigma," the hawk finished.

The man turned into a great lion-like beast. He roared and reared onto his hind legs before falling back to the ground, creating a large and rumbling thud.

The adrenaline within Ike was beginning to flood through him.

"Wait for the drums…than exchange the first blows," the hawk said.

The lion walked into the arena, and Ike followed him. The crowd began to stir and grow more frenzied. The level of excitement was growing.

The two faced each other in the middle of the giant circle. There were torches all along the edges, casting shadows and light onto the spectators. Opposite to the hawk they had spoken to previously, were four beast laguz in their human forms, sitting on the ground, readying their hands above some drums.

Ike wasn't sure when to begin the attack, but his mouth hung open and he was panting, as if already having ran several miles. His heart was beating so hard he thought it would burst through his chest. His ears darted to the front, the back, and to the sides, catching any and all sounds.

He was ready for the fight. Everything counted on this moment.

_Boom……………….Boom……………Boom…………Tat…. tat…. tat…_

The men began beating the drums. Very slowly at first, but the pace was quickening every so often.

The lion began pacing to Ike's left, watching him intently with fierce eyes. Ike followed his lead, pacing opposite to him. The two were circling around the ring, watching each other, waiting for the first move.

The lion's mouth opened, and saliva fell from between his fangs. Ike's ears went backwards and flat against the top of his head. His fur stood on end, and his long snout became wrinkled as he pulled the mouth back to bare his teeth.

The lion stopped and with his right front paw, scratched it against the ground, signaling something to Ike…but he couldn't tell. He had never fought as an animal before.

_Boom……..….Boom…..…...Boom……..Tat…Tat…Tat_

The drummers picked up the pace.

His dueling partner roared in response, and then came leaping towards him. The lion was so fast, that the white wolf had little time to react. As the lion leapt into the air, to overtake him, Ike lowered his head and body to swing low and evade the attack. Whipping himself to the side and just narrowly escaping, he ran forward to get behind the beast. The lion had hit the ground with such force, that a cloud of dust kicked up into the air, momentarily blinding the two.

But in the dusty air, the two smelled and listened for each other. Ike could sense he was close, and jumped. Through the dirt cloud he came soaring downwards, falling onto the rump of the lion. The beast roared out in pain as Ike had latched his front paws onto its lower back.

Going in for a bite, Ike opened his mouth but missed, and was thrown under. The laguz had enough strength to knock him around by throwing his body to the side, rolling on the ground.

Ike, still holding on, felt as the weight of the lion crushed him, as it made a barrel roll. It didn't last long though, as the beast eventually had to complete the move and come back up onto its four legs.

But there was Ike, with his back to the ground, readying himself to get up. And in that moment where he was belly up, the lion came at him. But it only had enough time to claw at him. As Ike turned himself over, the large front paw of the beast came down upon his belly, slashing it.

He was lucky though. Had it been deep enough, his innards would have fallen out and splayed upon the ground. Instead, the wound Ike had taken was mainly on the surface. It did, however, create a bloody mess that was plainly seen upon his white fur.

Ike bit back the pain and growled in anger. The lion reciprocated with a deep, bellowing roar.

_Boom…….Boom…….Boom……Tat..Tat..Tat_

The drums were getting louder and faster.

The white wolf and the reddish lion were now only a few feet apart, staring down each other. The blood from Ike's belly dripping and pooling onto the ground beneath him.

_Boom……Boom….Boom….Tat.Tat.Tat_

The drumbeat was faster than ever.

The lion then reared onto its hind legs, as he did before the fight. Ike imitated his action, throwing his front paws into the air. The two of them came down with such a violent thud onto the ground that more dirt went up into the air.

_Boom…Boom…Boom…TatTatTat_

The moment was right for the advance.

Ike came bounding forward, teeth bared. He could feel the vibrations of the lion coming at him each time his feet hit the floor.

And then, as the dust finally settled, the two were only mere inches away from striking each other head on. With both of them having their front legs in the air, they locked their legs around each other's necks, bringing them both down to the ground after a brief standing struggle to overtake each other.

_Boom..Boom..Boom..TatTatTat_

The cheers of the crowd were almost louder than the drums.

Ike and the opposing laguz were wrangling each other on the ground. With their front legs still locked, one of them finally gained the upper ground, crouching above the other.

It was the lion. The beast was more powerful than Ike, no doubt, but it was heavy and awkward in its movement. The mercenary had taken that into consideration.

But with his back against the dirt, his paws trying to push off the animal, Ike was losing ground. He would be killed, and soon, if he didn't come up with something.

_BoomBoomBoomTatTatTat_

But Ike didn't have to search for an opportunity. Rather, it came to him.

The lion, in its hubris, arched itself backwards and roared, apparently to show others his prowess and to ready for the killing blow to the neck. In that split second, Ike slashed its right eye with his front paw. It had been so powerful and sharp of a hit, that the white orb of the eye was now hanging out of the socket, by a thin, dangling, bloody and red muscle.

The beast roared not in triumph now, but in pain. Ike pulled himself out from under, and ran around to the side. He could take the beast down now, if he steadied himself carefully.

_BoomBoomBoomTatTatTat_

After banking off to the now blind side of the beast, Ike hastily turned himself back to the lion, and came running at it. His speed and grace kept him light on his feet and would be the one factor that could get him his win.

Hurling himself up into the air, Ike came crashing back down, latching his powerful jaw onto the lion's neck, striking the carotid artery.

Blood gushed into his mouth, filling it and running down his throat and out between his fangs. But he still hung on and held the neck, feeling for the pulse to die out.

The lion was now giving deep and low rumbles of painful cries. It was such a low tone that Ike thought he would not hear of it, had he been in his human form. As he listened in to the sounds of the beast while still gripping the neck, the tremors of the lion's voice became softer and more melancholy.

It knew its fate was sealed forever in that moment. And in that thought, Ike felt an overwhelmingly sense of remorse. He had killed other laguz in the past, but this was different. This was much more…intimate.

_Boom……….Boom…………..Boom……….Tat…….Tat……Tat_

Finally, the lion's body fell limp and the blood only spurted in small amounts out of the wound. It had died of the blood loss.

_Boom………….Boom……………..Boom………….Tat…………….Tat……………Tat_

The drummers brought their beat to a close, signaling the end of the fight. Cheers broke out in the crowd. Even amidst this horrid violence, the audience was shouting and yelling in delight. It disgusted Ike so much, he thought he would retch.

"But I had to do this…this was the only way…" he tried telling himself.

Finally dropping the lion's neck out of his mouth, he walked out of the circle with his head low and his tail between his legs. The iron taste of blood still fresh and upon his mouth. A bittersweet victory, if anything.

"You have done extraordinarily well," the hawk began. "We had all betted against you, beast, but you proved superior. Cane was the name of the red lion you had fought. He was a rare and strong laguz, even amongst the beast tribes who are known for their power and force."

Ike only looked up at the hawk, wishing he hadn't heard the name. It would only perpetuate the feelings of regret he felt within him.

"I have something special to tell you, that you may find immensely pleasing," the bird still spoke to him. "The Beast himself was here tonight. He witnessed the battle between you and Cane. He was so contented by your victory, that he wishes a special…umm…ceremony for you to attend to."

"Ganon?" Ike thought to himself. "Did he really come out here to witness the fight?"

"You'd best not reject his offer," the hawk said in a forceful tone, before turning away to motion where Ike would go. Two laguz, in their human forms, walked over to Ike. They were of the raven tribes, he could tell. Their black wings and long, slender noses suggested so.

"Follow us," they both said.

They wandered along in the dark, before reaching a cave. They had to travel deeper into the cavern, with only two torches to guide them along. But once they descended a steep and narrow path, they reached the bottom of the place. It was dank and humid. Water dripped from stalactites and occasionally fell upon Ike.

In the middle of the floor was a pit of fire that created a small area of light, and black shadows elsewhere.

"Not another cave…" Ike thought to himself. His stomach was in knots. He was afraid of what he might have to go through. And if Ganon was truly down here…then…

As they waited in front of the fire, another person, a man, stepped out from the shadows. He was neither like the bird or beast laguz. Although in his human form, he still had the markings of a dragon laguz. The delicate features, the pointed ears were all attributes of one…but Ike wasn't so sure.

"The great and mighty Beast waits and watches us in the shadows," the man spoke. "You, wolf," he said, pointing to Ike. "You have proved yourself to join the ranks of the Dark Lord's high servants. You cannot reject this offer and you cannot leave this cave until the task is complete and your servitude is final."

His words were ominous and dreadful to hear. To Ike, it sounded like he was signing away his life. And that wasn't far from the truth.

"You two," the man directed himself now to the ravens. "Bring us the implement and let us be done with this task."

The ravens disappeared into the shadows. Ike could hear the muffled cries of someone in the distance.

"No…no, please stop! Please, I-I'll do anything! Really! A-anything you n-need to know, I'll t-tell you! Just don't h-hurt me! Pleaseeeeeee!!"

It was a man's voice crying out.

"What's going on?" Ike thought to himself.

Out from the darkness came the two ravens dragging off a man bound by the wrists.

"What the-??" Ike said in his mind.

It was a human. And definitely not a laguz. The closer he came to the fire, the more apparent it became that the person was a soldier. An Altean soldier at that, still wearing some of his armor.

"A prisoner of war? No…No…." Ike repeated. This couldn't be happening, he thought. He had a horrible feeling that he knew what was going to be asked of him.

The raven's dropped the man to the ground.

"Oh god…oh god…no! No!" the man cried out, looking directly at Ike from the rock and dirt floor.

"Kill him," the dragon laguz said to Ike.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Notes: **Question and Answer time again. And some comments.

**Alex c:** You asked why there was so little conflict (don't worry, it's a valid question considering the title of the fic). Well, it's all building to something…a.k.a. a war. I just had a big idea on how this war would come about, and wanted a lot of back story to set up the situation. If I just threw you into the war, there would be some half-assed explanations on my part and not enough tensions and character development along the way.

Serious fighting will be coming soon, it just needs a reason. ; )

**alberto4395:** You'll soon find out what's going to happen to Sheik. I can't tell you yet who was on the ship that attacked Samus. I know, no resolutions made in these answers. P

**Nintendogeek01: **Ah, but the joke suffices! Yeah, and the person Sheik bumped into's description was very obvious.

As to how they will all swim, you'll see. That'll be the fun part.

**She's Going the Distance: **I'm glad you really liked the chapter!

**The Digital Dimension: **Frightening as in the hallucinations or frightening as in naked people everywhere and Sheik being accosted?

**Flowershop78: **There, it's all better now. …Well, sort of. ):D

**Andrew42: **I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter!

The Mauro character is a man, and I just made him up for the story's sake. I picked his name as such because it means "dark" in Gaelic, and he has dark hair. So that is why he has such a name.

So, he's not from Star Fox, but which character did you have in mind from that series? I'm curious on who you thought it was.

And on the subject of romances, I'm not going to give away too much, but not everyone is going to be matched up, and not all the romances are all that they seem.

I like to throw readers a curve ball. Who knows, I could even be doing it now.

- - - -

Alright, so back to this chapter. This was a doozy. Ike's storyline is much darker than most other character's thus far. I just thought I needed something like that, so this story would seem a little more balanced. And things may have seemed like they moved fast, but I really needed to hit upon these points before getting to the next chapter. It had to be this way also because I must keep up with other character's chapters/timelines if I hope to reach certain plot points with them all.

So Ike is okay, he was just hexed by the scorpion woman! And that is basically the "urban legend" of Arachnida.

I hope I don't lose too many of you by briefly including various members of Ike's mercenary team. This will probably be one of the few chapters with them in it, if not the only one.


	15. Chapter 15: Samus

**Part One**

**Chapter Fifteen: Samus**

_Ba thump...Ba thump...Ba thump...Ba thump...Ba thump...Ba thump...Ba thumpBa thumpBa thumpBathumpBathump_

"Huuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh!" Samus gasped aloud, her heart beating in flurry while she threw her chest upwards from a horizontal position. It subsequently collapsed, and she lay resting against something soft. The room was bright and blinded her eyes. She felt numb all over and her mind was awash with grogginess and a dull ache. Her head was heavy and felt, even as it was resting against a cushion, that it was hanging over it and falling through.

"Hoouuld Ahhonn," a robotic voice spoke, with a thick, digital accent. She barely made out what it had said: "hold on."

"I'm…_alive_…" she murmured to herself, half delighted to learn that she was well, and half in disbelief that this could be possible. She had expected to die, to perish at that moment upon the Great Fox when the back wall of the docking bay came rushing at her from the velocity of her crashing spacecraft.

But it was right before the final collision when Samus had seen his face.

Link.

A momentary vision? Did he somehow communicate with her…? The expression she had seen was so real and almost tangible. Link looked as though he was in pain. His eyes were clenched shut and his mouth was yelling out in pain.

"….Link…" the bounty hunter whispered to herself. Samus was afraid that if he was still alive, he was hurt. She could sense this, but she couldn't explain how. Maybe all that exposure to the Phazon years ago was the cause of this…The Chozo had explained to her of the substances' strange powers that sometimes went beyond mere mutations.

She had been lost in her thoughts when she realized she was lying in bed in a white room, with large lights hanging over her.

"A…hospital?" Samus murmured. It had to be, how else did she survive?

"Ah, you're okay!" she heard a voice speaking to her from afar.

"Shaahe iszzz aullrrraaaiiiightt."

That same robot was back as well.

"Thanks," the other one spoke again.

Samus decided to prop herself up from the bed. That voice was all too familiar, and from her position of lying down, she couldn't see who it was. Hunching herself up, she felt a terrible pinching pain. It was felt from below her chest, down her abdomen, and stopping at her belly button.

"You really shouldn't do that!" She heard as Fox McCloud walked to her side. "Just rest easy, Samus. You're not in too much pain, are you?"

"Uhhhnnn…no, it's not too bad. So…I'm still on the Great Fox?" she asked him.

"Of course," the creature told her.

A small smile spread across her face. Seeing Fox here was good. She'd be safe from her attacker, and it was good to see an old face.

"I have some bad news though," he began. Samus's smile disappeared.

"Your ship wasn't salvageable. The entire thing blew to pieces upon impact. You're lucky you had that suit on."

She looked down upon her body that was hidden underneath a white blanket. This was not good. Without her ship, she couldn't get around by herself. This put a damper on her plans.

"But your Power Suit is okay. It was severely broken up, but ROB and Slippy were able to put it back together as best they could. Still, you might want to take it over to the Chozo for them to inspect it," Fox explained to her.

"Well, I guess that's slightly reassuring…" Samus said.

"Your blue suit also took a beating, but we've fixed that as well," Fox told her.

There was a pause in which Samus didn't quite understand what he meant. If she wasn't wearing her blue suit, or as she called it, the "Zero Suit," then what did she have on now?

Without putting much thought into the possibility that she was naked underneath the covers, Samus pulled down the blanket in front of Fox. She had a white tank top covering her bust, and matching white underwear.

But what was more startling was a massive scar running down the middle of her torso. This must've been why her abdomen was hurting…

"You were a fighter Samus," Fox solemnly said. "Three times ROB and his team of medical robots had to revive you. But you were persistent on living."

When he said that, Samus recalled that just before the crash she had contemplated dying. She figured that was going to be the outcome, and oddly enough, she had no problem with it.

Although she put on a hard exterior, and not just literally with her Power Suit, Samus was fierce, and she was strong. But sometimes, the bounty hunter played the part too well. She was quick in her wit, sardonic, and emotionally stiff, but she had the ability to crack. Every now and then she'd find herself lonely, detached from the outside world, and when things were at their lowest, in outbreaks of frustration and anger that often materialized itself in broken equipment or burning tears.

And she always had this morbid desire within her to die. A strange feeling, but one that was somewhat impulsive and involuntary. In her most despondent of moments, she felt it. And perhaps this was why she had chosen a risky career as a bounty hunter.

For Samus, to die would mean to see the family that was slain before her as a young child…but she was never quite sure that in death she would even be granted that. And so, she held on looking for a family in this life, and looking for a greater reason to live.

The Chozo had become her surrogate family, but she always felt separate from them. That was probably due to the difference in species. Her career as a bounty hunter provided her with an obligation to wake up everyday, but it was usually an empty and fruitless fulfillment.

And, at that moment before the collision, Samus remembered her pains and strife, and was willing to succumb to the crash.

But because she had seen Link's face, the will to live had broken through within her. The responsibility she felt for rescuing Link was reawakened, and the bounty hunter didn't want to die. Not at that moment, anyway.

And it appeared that fate was on her side.

"Fox?" Samus looked up at him, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" he asked her, his ears flicking to attention.

"Who was it that had attacked me?"

Fox's head tilted to the side, and he paused for a while before speaking.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. To be honest, I didn't even know why you had crashed onto our ship," he told her.

Samus became incredibly confused.

"Our radar had been jammed as you entered our field. And then, several minutes later, you crashed," he explained.

His jade green eyes narrowed at her, and his ears went down.

"What exactly happened, Samus?" his voice was grave and quieter.

She cleared her throat before beginning.

"I had just left the Zero System. Having stopped by Port Town Aero Dive, I was on my way back here…and that was when I first encountered a strange spacecraft in my field, which was basically the middle of nowhere as I was en route between systems."

Samus could tell he was listening intently, as if maybe he was waiting to hear something in particular. Was there something strange that happened that Fox knew about?

"The warning signal on my spacecraft went off. Now things were especially suspicious. Whoever it was, was armed and had targeted my spacecraft. I wasn't too far then from the Chozon Prime so I wanted to leave the area quickly. Just a bad feeling about it, you know?"

Fox nodded at her.

"And then I arrived here. The Great Fox was in view and I was going to get in communication with you. But then, the same ship appeared. I had never really gotten a close look of it on the radar for specifics, but the basic shape of it on the hologram was apparent," Samus said.

"And just like before, my warning signal went off. At this point I was confident that this person was specifically targeting me and that I would be in trouble. I tried contacting you, but the communications system was jammed. So, I high-tailed it over here, but unfortunately…well, you know the rest of the story."

She continued to look at Fox, hoping he would have something to add.

"So you didn't see who it was…at all?" he asked her.

"No…that was the last mistake I'll ever make…" she said bitterly.

"Interesting…" Fox remarked.

"What? What is it?" Samus hastily prodded for an answer. What did he mean by 'interesting'? It was an odd response.

"Well…Wolf had returned from the League not too long ago. But his arrival doesn't coincide with your attack. In fact, he actually just left _this_ ship when we had a brief exchange of information…of which I'll have to tell you la-"

"You think it was Wolf?" Samus cut him off. "You think it would be your associate?"

"I'd hardly call him that…" Fox groaned.

"But…you're suspicious of him…right?" Samus basically reiterated the same question. She wanted to believe that Fox was just as wayward about Wolf as she was.

"Yeah. Well, I've had to be. That wolf doesn't exactly walk a straight line when it comes to his friends or enemies. Speaking of which though, I may have an interesting piece of information for you. Leon Powalski and Panther Caroso had just arrived in the area."

She had no idea who he was talking about.

Then Fox's face darkened and he looked around with narrowed eyes before continuing.

"Samus, I have to tell you that their appearance here puts me on edge. Never mind the fact that their arrival came at about the same time as your crash…"

Samus nearly jumped up from the bed. "Really? And just who are they?"

"Comrades of Wolf. Thugs though, in actuality. When Wolf was elected as leader of the Andross Party following his connection to Andrew Oikonny, he pledged that he would no longer associate with those types of people, and would instead fight to rid the galaxy of them. But, as I expected would happen, he's gone back to his old habits," Fox explained to her.

"So you think that perhaps they were the ones who had attacked me?" the bounty hunter pressed.

"I cannot be sure…but things have become so out of control and mad these days, with the assassination at the League and the presence of the Flood among others. I am expected to believe nearly anything now," Fox put one hand to his head and rubbed his forehead.

"Not only that, but…" Fox sighed, as if he didn't want to continue.

"What is it Fox? I need to know!" Samus was on edge. Her hand clenched into a fist to brace for the news.

Fox drew another deep breath.

"Falco had done a sweep of Tallon IV in your absence, while you were away at the League. He had discovered parts from a wreckage that was nearby the temple the Chozo had built over the meteor site. To our surprise, it was a Wolfen fighter spacecraft. But most startling of all were canisters that we had uncovered, that contained the Phazon element. These seemed to have been hastily loaded on this ship that really wasn't meant for transport. We don't know if that's what did the ship in, or if there was a skirmish of other sorts, but that's all we have," he finished.

"Wolf…" Samus muttered, pulling the blankets off and putting her feet to the floor. It was cold and smooth. She brushed back her bangs, as she readied to get up.

"But I cannot believe that…I cannot. How could he have been taking the Phazon…? _Why_ would he?" Fox asked incredulously.

"He's deceived us to such an extreme level. And we fell for it. Fox, you should have known that better than I. Wolf has even been at the League pulling threats against the Hylian Princess left and right. He's already imprisoned their delegate-"

"I know," the green-eyed fox said. He walked away from her bedside, brushing his hands through the fur on the top of his head. Fox took a deep breath and turned back around. She could tell he was incredibly exhausted. Much had happened since she had left the Chozon Prime.

"It's just that-"

But Fox couldn't complete his sentence. The area flooded with a red pulsing light, and a loud and ear-piercing alarm filled the air.

The two of them just froze and looked at each other. In reaction to the emergency signal, their faces wandered about the room, as if there would be a cause for the alarm somewhere in the area.

"What's going on!!" Samus tried to shout at Fox.

His eyes were wide and he turned and darted for the door. Once he reached it, the door opened from someone else, and Falco stood there.

The blue bird's arched eyes stared back at the two as he walked towards them. In behind him came ROB.

Samus saw a distressed and scared look in Falco's expression. She had only met him once briefly during their investigations near Tallon IV, and she had gathered that he was a hot shot that wasn't too affected by extreme circumstances.

By the look on his face though, something terrible was going on.

Pushing herself off the bed, Samus lunged forward, buckling under the pain in her torso. Holding her stomach, she coughed and grimaced. She felt particularly weak, and was in no mood for another emergency. She had, after all, just survived one.

"What's going on Falco??" Fox asked him, in a tone that suggested he was also affected by Falco's unusual look.

"The Flood Fox! It's the goddamn Flood! They're closing in on the Great Fox! We don't have time to outmaneuver them!" Falco yelled back. He had something blue in his right wing, and after speaking to Fox, he rushed forward to Samus.

"Take this and put it on and make it quick. We don't have much time to escape!" he told her in that thick, haughty accent.

Samus was frazzled and hurting, but she welcomed the sight of her Zero Suit. Pulling it up from her feet, she put the two vertical seams that separated the right and left side together. The fabric was a mix of a soft weave synthetic, and a plastic-like surface. The seams had no zipper or buttons to attach themselves to each other. Rather, they merely molded to one another and stuck together.

However, the news of the Flood being nearby was distressing. She had known they were on Hylia, but how could they be out here? Samus was in no condition for this type of emergency.

"How the hell did this happen?" Fox first asked ROB and then turned to Falco who was walking back to him.

"Our radar was electronically obstructed again. And we didn't discover their presence until they came into view," ROB told him.

"But how is the Flood out here? How did the hive army leave Hylia?" Fox questioned the robot.

"They have boarded an unknown vessel. Probably some pirate's spacecraft. It might have gone to Hylia to loot, not knowing the Flood had completely taken over the planet," ROB explained.

"Fox, you know they are going to crash into us to board this ship! We need to evacuate all crew members now!" Falco said.

"Right. Falco, I need you to take Samus and leave on one of the emergency evacuation shuttles immediately. She still hasn't completely recovered yet, and she'll need to be accompanied by someone. I trust you to take good care. The rest of us shall leave on our Arwings," Fox instructed him.

Falco, about to open his mouth to protest, was stopped by Fox.

"I'll be sure to take your ship. Don't worry, it's in good hands!" he said, rushing off to the door.

"ROB, you will come with me. I'll need you and the other bots to stay aboard and secure the ship once the collision occurs. We have to take every measure to prevent a takeover!" Fox told the robot, as the two left the area.

Once Fox was gone, Falco turned to the blonde bounty hunter.

"Well Samus, I guess you'll have to come with me," Falco said to her in an unhappy tone. He turned away from her and began moving quickly toward the door to leave the medical bay.

Samus only stood there. Then she began to walk slowly behind, still holding her stomach and in a considerable amount of pain.

"I need my suit!" she finally called out to Falco, who was getting far ahead of her in his fast pace. She had hoped this would stop him so he would realize she's not in shape to run.

And just like she wanted, he stopped and turned around.

"What?" he asked, not being able to hear Samus's voice through the alarm's ringing.

"I need my suit!" she said again, out of breath. "I need my Power Suit. I cannot leave without it."

Samus stopped and hunched over. It was becoming unbearable to stand.

"Don't stop now! We need to get to safety!! I'll take care of your Power Suit, just come along now and faster!" Falco yelled at her, not entirely understanding that Samus wouldn't be able to rush herself. He allowed her time to catch up with him, and the two of them went at a slower pace down the corridor. The red pulsating light continued to ebb bright and dim as they moved downwards toward the shuttle.

And then, as they rounded a corner, there was a huge rumble and thudding sound. The Great Fox was trembling and shaking from what felt like a collision. Samus and Falco tried to hold their ground, but the two of them came falling forward onto the hard surface of the floor. The shaking of the entire ship continued on as they lay there, and a shrill and ear-splitting sound of metal shearing through metal could be heard in the distance.

"It's happened. They've intercepted and hit us…" Falco said, trying to stand himself up. His voice was half-mournful, half in disbelief, as if even under the roar and trembles of the collision, that what he was saying was ludicrous. And Samus almost felt the same way.

They were actually that close to the greatest and most feared threat in the entire galaxy. Samus had only heard of them from secondhand stories of those who had barely lived to experience it…the Flood.

Lying on the floor, she was curled up in the fetal position on her side. When she had fallen, the pain had shot through her spine and she felt awash in heat. Reaching one hand up to her forehead, she felt the spiking temperature burning through her skin.

Her head fell to the side and she dropped her hand.

"Samus! …Samus!" she heard Falco's voice calling out to her. "Are you okay? Just wait here, I'm contacting Slippy. He should be able to bring you the Power Suit. That is, if he hasn't left already."

From the floor, Samus watched as Falco fiddled with something on his wrist. Twice he pressed some buttons on it, and then held his ear up to it. She could tell something wasn't working out, as he began to mutter and curse at the portable piece of equipment.

"Alright, this isn't working. I can't seem to get a hold of him. I'll need to go in and get the suit myself. And you'll need to start making your way to the shuttle. I don't know how far we have been breached yet, so you have got to keep moving!" he instructed her.

Samus nodded, and slowly sat back up. Adrenaline was beginning to flow through her, knowing that at anytime now the Flood would be upon them and they would be helpless.

"The shuttle is down this corridor, where you'll find an elevator to the right. Go down the elevator to the 5th level. There, you'll find five doors waiting in front of you. Pick one, and leave the door open. Each one of them is an entrance to an escape pod. Just wait in one of them for me, alright?" he asked her.

"Yes," Samus responded. She took a deep breath and stood up. Falco gave her one last look and then took off.

"Is it really worth it?" she thought, pondering whether or not she really needed that Power Suit. But if she didn't have it, she'd be absolutely vulnerable. With no ship at all either…things weren't looking so good.

But she would have to put that at the back of her head for now. The situation was dire, and there would be no time for complaints or a change of plans.

Lumbering forward, Samus moved as fast as she could. Her right hand pressed against her abdomen and her left foot took great steps as she limped. She couldn't move to fast, but she knew that going slow could be fatal.

It took her about a minute before she found the elevator to her right. She stepped into it and slammed her hand against the button for the 5th level. Samus kept her hand on it, and slumped over, resting her weight against the wall.

As it began to move downwards, there was another crash and a rumble.

"Oh god, not here, not now!" she yelled in frustration to herself. The elevator shook in response and the lights flickered. And then it stopped. But she had only reached the 3rd level.

"Shit!" Samus muttered. Perhaps she could exit the elevator and get down some other way. But that would be a bad idea considering she didn't know her way around the Great Fox.

At the least though, she should check to see if the buttons still worked. Pressing on the door button, she hoped that it would open, in the case that the elevator was permanently jammed.

"No…no," Samus said frantically, now pressing the door button over and over again. It was no use though, as the button wasn't responding.

Looking around for a second option, she saw something that might work. Up above her was a square outline. It looked like an emergency door, but she needed to go down, as the 5th level was below her. Checking now at her feet, Samus saw the same square outline.

"Perfect!" she said aloud.

Bending down, she put her two hands at opposite sides of the square, and tried to pull on the edges of the door. But that didn't work. Samus took a deep breath and bit her lower lip. In her frustration and as an idea momentarily came into her head, she brought her left foot up, and then subsequently slammed it back down in the middle of the square.

To her delight, the door broke off and fell, but so did she. However, the opening wasn't large enough for her to simply drop through. Instead, her legs fell and half of her torso dropped, but her arms reached out and caught herself. And now, with half of her in the elevator, and half hanging out freely in the shaft, Samus struggled to gain a proper hold.

The pain felt crippling and she screamed out in anguish. And then, she heard a strange and ominous sound in response to her. And it wasn't the kind she had wanted to hear.

A deep and guttural moan bellowed loudly. It appeared to have come from above her.

"The Flood!" she thought, her stomach dropping and her heart racing to a level where she thought it might burst.

With her legs hanging, Samus threw them backwards and they swung forward equally to her push. Like a swing, she did the same motion again, but this time got enough force that she thought would help her leap forward.

And so, when the moment was right, she let go of her arms in the elevator and fell completely through the hole, and forward. Her body lunged to the shaft's wall, but there wasn't anything to grab onto. Samus hit the wall and went backwards slightly, falling down.

After hitting the wall, her body had thrust backwards, so instead of falling feet first in an upright position, she was going horizontal with her back facing down and her legs closest to the wall.

As she dropped, her feet clipped the edge of what appeared to be a panel signaling the 4th level door. In response to hitting the panel, her legs were thrown upwards into the air, and she was falling head first.

In the midst of this chaos though, Samus felt relatively calm. She had mastered martial arts and knew that the first way to get your self killed is to panic. And while the sound of a Flood alien had scared her, she felt awash in peace in the free fall. She knew exactly what to do…

After passing the 4th level, Samus knew that the 5th one was approaching, and she could see it. Reaching her hands out below her head, she grabbed onto the panel and swung around, much like a gymnastic on a bar. Her body flew down and forward toward the wall, hitting it with such force, that she lost her grip with one of her hands.

She screamed in pain as her stomach smacked the cold, hard surface of the interior of the passage. But Samus was able to bite back the pain and suck it up. The bounty hunter pulled herself up and stood on the narrow ledge that was so small, the tip of her feet had to point outwards, with the outside of the sole against the wall.

Easing herself slowly around to face the door and try and open it, she realized that she hadn't planned for this part. There was no way she could pry it open. The steel doors wouldn't budge.

Instead of shouting profanities in her anger and irritation, Samus just pressed herself against the door and closed her eyes. If she was going to come up with another plan, she didn't want to have to think about it now. Her body was exhausted, in pain, and she was miserably sweating and shaking from the lack of endurance.

But there would be no time for rest. She heard and felt a low rumbling sound. Looking upwards, she saw as the elevator seemed to have come back on and was slowly starting up. It was heading back downwards too.

Samus took a deep breath. Perhaps this was just how it would end…

"Hey! What are you doing down there? Look up!!" an oddly familiar voice called out to her, echoing through the large passageway.

Turning her head up, she saw a blue head with a yellow beak peaking through the square hole she had created on the bottom of the elevator.

"Falco! It's great to see you, but unfortunately, it won't be for too long!" Her morbid sense of humor was back.

"Just jump! I'll have my wings out. If you time it right and grab on, I can pull you up and we can finally get the hell out of here!" he shouted back to her.

With no time for an ever wittier response, Samus quickly jumped and Falco pulled her up and through the hole. He had a smile on his face, and she reciprocated. As they awkwardly stared in silence at each other as the elevator had reached the 5th level and the doors had opened, Falco pointed his head to the right.

Samus followed his field of vision and an ever larger smile shown on her face. There, in the corner of the elevator was her Power Suit, rolled up into its ball form.

"There it is. Now let's bust out of this joint," Falco said, leaving the elevator.

Samus proudly walked over to the orange and yellow ball. She picked it up and cradled it in her hands, pressing it against her chest. Turning around, she saw Falco looking back at her in the corridor, with his wings crossed and a frown upon his face.

"We haven't got all day," he remarked.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped out of the elevator and caught up with him. The two of them walked through one of the five doors and sat down at the opposing seats in the escape pod.

Falco punched in a few buttons on the small control panel, shutting the door and starting up its small engine, while Samus looked out through the one circular window the pod had. She saw some burned pieces of metal floating by. Turning back to Falco, she wanted to know how bad it was. She wanted to know if there was a chance that Fox might not have made it out alive. She wanted to know if the Great Fox would survive this.

Rather than asking and directly filing for an answer, she watched as Falco caught her stare and looked back at her with eyes that dripped with anger, loss, and trepidation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Notes: **So, on a more personal update, these past two days have been surreal here in California. There are fires blazing everywhere in my county from the extreme heat waves we've been having. I think the tally is at about 6 right now? And my friends and I had watched from the beach by looking across the bay to the neighboring county and we could see plumes of smoke everywhere. Very scary. And then yesterday, there was a brief tropical storm passing through bringing a large lightning storm, and I just sat outside watching the bolts light up the sky above me. VERY wierd weather for California.

While I experienced mother nature at her best, I did have time to work on this and I finally completed this chapter. Albeit, later than I wanted.

So, I haven't forgotten about the Flood! They are still an integral part of this plotline. How could they not be? The Flood is unstoppable. There were a few questions some of you had, so I want to address them here again.

**The Earth Alchemist: **I intentionally left Vulcan Raven out because he just didn't naturally fit into this plotline, even though it would only seem right to include him along with the others. I'll come up with some explanation for this in the story.

**NinjaSheik: **Haha, Sheik's chapter will be coming up soon. Just you wait!

**Andrew42: **I haven't played the Star Fox games beyond 64 and Adventures, but it's a good thing you have brought this up. I need to be updated on this game series plotline for this story's sake. And yes, curveballs abound! : D


	16. Chapter 16: Snake

**Part One**

**Chapter Sixteen: Snake**

Snake was tending to the bullet wound on his leg. He considered whether or not to go all the way and extract the metal shrapnel, but the damage could be far more extensive, and he could get himself in a lot of trouble quick if he opened up the wound more.

So instead, he conceded to simply wrapping the area in a thick, white bandage to prevent a chance of infection and to put pressure on the bleeding. When he tightened the wrap, a red circle of blood appeared on it and became more visible as it permeated through the layers of the cloth.

Finally tying off the two ends, he rested his body back against the wall and the cement ground. He drew a deep breath and could feel the phlegm in his throat stirring. As an avid smoker, he often dealt with such drawbacks to that lovely tobacco taste. And right about now would be the perfect time for taking that smoky drag…

"Snake, there's a lot I have to tell you," Sniper Wolf began. She was standing a few feet away from him, holding her rifle as one would a limp corpse. Generally, she would carry it around like a mother to a child, but something solemn came over her he had noticed.

The two of them were still on Big Blue and were still standing in that alley were she had shot him in the leg to stop him from escaping.

"Let's get it over with then," Snake grumbled. It was in situations like this where his patience would be tested. Sniper Wolf knew full well that in close quarters combat, Snake could easily kill her. And he knew this too. But because she was standing so close to him, with her guard down completely, he knew there was something worthy to hear out.

"After Shadow Moses, Ocelot came out unscathed from the destruction and chaos. Well, except for his arm of course, but he has since replaced it with a cybernetic one, as you have probably already noticed," she explained to him.

"Yeah, I know all of this…but how do you? When I had killed you, those events transpired afterwards," Snake remarked.

"Well, I can explain that with something you must be fairly familiar with Snake. I was reborn of the same process that you came from," her response was rather cryptic, but he immediately understood.

"Cloning…you were cloned…? You and all the others…?" Snake asked in disbelief.

"Yes, the DNA from our bodies was collected after the incident at Shadow Moses died down and you had left. Ocelot had prepared for such a defeat I suppose, with this plan as a way to compensate. And he has used the Philosopher's Legacy to pay for all of this. But unfortunately, using such funds requires a hefty bank account. All of his financial transactions could be traced to his account, as I was able to discover all that he has done by paying off various hackers and bank officials," she finished. Her face took on an ever more distressed look.

"If you're just a clone, how is it that you remembered the incident between you and I at Shadow Moses?" he asked her.

"I am not just a clone. Unlike yourself, who is just a mere genetic and physical replicate, I retain all personality and memory. I am that same person you killed out in the Alaskan tundra," she told him.

"How the hell is that possible?" Snake angrily snarled at her, being both insulted by her former remark of him being "just a clone," and the fact that this seemed entirely unreal. Was this explanation some kind of lie, possibly leading to a trap?

"Ocelot made it possible. I guess you wouldn't know how because you are not the Big Boss himself. You just resemble him-"

"Alright I get it. I'm an inferior clone to you. Just tell me in simple English how Ocelot did this," Snake prompted.

"He has slight psychic powers. He is a medium, if you will. Having been born of the love between the Joy and the Sorrow, he has inherited his father's abilities," Sniper Wolf quickly laid out. "So he was able to call back our spirits to inhabit our new bodies."

"So why didn't you immediately understand what I was talking about at the League? When I mentioned the handkerchief, you were confused…" Snake propped himself up more, listening intently.

"Ocelot had brainwashed us. And still has a hold on some of the others, but I have learned otherwise. He had hoped that he could wipe out any memory other than our former firm desire to destroy you," she paused for a moment. Her face was looking down toward the concrete ground and Snake could almost see tears forming above her lower eyelid.

"We were just going to be used…again…like pawns on a chessboard being manipulated by a single hand…" Her expression twisted into that of an angry one. It looked close to that childish face she had on at the League.

Snake felt déjà vu coming over him. It was just like back at Shadow Moses when Sniper Wolf had conceded to being used, and didn't want to fight anymore.

"But I am going to make a stand against him. I will tell you everything of his plans that I know of, but you must promise me one thing," she said.

"What?" Snake inquired.

"You must promise to fulfill my promise, with no hesitation, and no backing down. But I cannot tell you of what it is that I want. You must wait, for the information you need to hear is more important," Sniper Wolf responded.

Snake just nodded his head and waited for her to speak again.

"It's hard to choose a place to begin, but the story ultimately starts with a secret pact made between Representative Ganondorf, Representative Wolf, and Ocelot and Liquid Snake. Wolf, as you must know well by now, has been gaining much support and approval in the League, at the behest of the Hylians. And that was what he was promised," she explained.

"Wolf has played a more sinister role than I had originally known. The largest part of their secret deal exchanged the high office as Leader of the League for Wolf, so long as he could provide a steady supply of the Phazon element for Ocelot and Liquid. And they helped Wolf come up with ways to turn that situation against the Hylians, ultimately helping in the imprisonment and subsequent capture of Representative Link."

"And, as Wolf had manipulated that situation in imprisoning Link while simultaneously gaining more support, Ganondorf would easily and secretly gain capture of the Hylian," her gripped tightened around her rifle as she said that.

"But why do Liquid and Ocelot need Phazon?" Snake asked. He already knew through Samus's explanation, how Wolf had turned that Chozon Prime space pirate investigation against Link.

"I…don't exactly know, but it correlates to the new Metal Gear…and to the Triforce. And this is where Ganondorf comes in. There is very little information on the Triforce in the galaxy, but from what I have heard briefly in the exchanges between Liquid and Ocelot, Ganondorf has made a promise, as long as the others can provide Link and Zelda, that he would provide them with the powers of the Triforce."

Snake creased his forehead beneath the bandana into a hardened frown. What ultimately connected the Triforce, the Phazon, and the supposed new Metal Gear together? Why would Ocelot and Liquid need the powers of the Triforce?

"They have Link, Snake. You need to make sure Zelda is safe, as Mantis had already discovered that the Princess at the League was not the true one," Sniper Wolf interrupted Snake's thoughts.

"So that is why you killed Nabooru?" Snake asked her.

"Was that her name?" Sniper Wolf returned, with a saddened look on her face. A small droplet of a tear fell from her left eye and quickly dropped off of her cheek.

Snake didn't reply at all. He just looked upon her. A feeling of pity swept over him. It seems that the promise Snake had made to her out in the snow years ago was not fulfilled. That even in her death, he couldn't promise her no more tears.

"You still have time Snake. There is still time to undo all that has been done. So long as the Triforce isn't complete, there will be no way for all the elements to come together and complete Ocelot's plan," she told him.

"What do you mean? They already have Link. All they need is to find where Zelda is and the entire thing is done and done," Snake bitterly remarked, slowly standing himself up, trying not to put too much weight on his injured leg.

"But that's like finding a needle in a haystack. If she is outside of Mantis's sphere of detection, and hidden from any bounty hunter that could capture her, Zelda is safe. And besides, the Phazon experiments have not been completed yet. It's close…but you still have that on your side," she explained to him. He then recalled how Ocelot and Liquid had argued over that very thing when he was spying on them in the vent.

"And now that I have told you all of this, you know what must be done," she said.

"Wait," Snake stopped her. "I need to ask you one more thing."

"What is it?"

"What about the Space Pirate Confederation and the Flood? Where do they fall into all of this? Were they in on this secret alliance?" Snake questioned.

"No. That was all Wolf's doing. That bounty hunter knew he could easily provide the Phazon to Ocelot and Liquid through the SPC, as those pirates were the only ones who could mine it successfully and the quickest. And well, everyone knows of the ties between the Flood and the SPC," she sighed, before proceeding. "A bitter side effect to all of this, I suppose. Ocelot…he must have never intended for such a thing…"

Snake crossed his arms. It seems that there would be two fronts to deal with. On one side of the ring would be Ocelot, Liquid, Ganondorf, and Wolf. On the other would be the Space Pirate Confederation and the Flood. And wedged right between all of this, were the Hylian's, Samus, and himself. He remembered that there was also that blue haired man named Ike, but Snake couldn't explain how he was involved. However, that man and Zelda had mentioned something about Ganondorf and his beast form, "Ganon." …

Was there more to the story with Ganondorf's involvement?

"Snake, I know that the only help I can provide you with is the information I have given you. But I want to do more," she said.

Snake cocked his head ever so slightly to the side, wondering what she meant.

Pulling out a 9mm from a holster that was behind her right thigh, he watched as she reached out with it, handle pointed towards him. She would never carry around such a weapon. Her gun of choice was a PSG-1 sniper rifle and nothing else. And this perplexed him.

"What do you mean by this?" Snake asked, hesitantly backing off and readying himself in the case that this was a trap.

"You promised to fulfill whatever I asked for," she reminded him. Her face was strained and her eyes were more tearful.

"Right," Snake responded, still confused.

"I mean to help you. So take this gun and…well…you remember what happened years ago…with the handkerchief…" she unwrapped it from around her arm, and with a shaking hand, brought it to him as well.

Snake finally took the gun and the handkerchief. His mouth was slightly open, in an expression of confusion and doubt. He didn't want to do this…

"When they find my body…." Her voice was quivering and tears were swelling in her eyes.

"…I want them to know that I remembered. That I remembered how I had died…and that they are brainwashed…all the others…they must know…" her voice had finally broken out into heaving breaths and sobs.

Sniper Wolf got down on her knees and hung her head low. Without looking, she reached an arm up and grabbed Snake's hand that was gripping the gun. She brought the tip of the gun to her head. His hand shook against hers.

"R-r-remember where to put-t it…?" she cried to him, alluding to the handkerchief. "R-r-remember to c-cover my eyes, jus-s-t like before…" her words trailed off.

Snake felt an overwhelming sense of anger come over him. Anger towards Ocelot for what he had done to her. For making Sniper Wolf relive the hardest moments of her past life…and to torture her in this way. And for the pact he had made with Ganondorf and Wolf that had brought upon all of this.

Snake didn't want to kill her again. The soldier would rather see her walking away unscathed, even if it meant killing her in the midst of a fight that would be forced between them by Ocelot and Liquid.

Something about this method of termination fell heavy in his heart…

And so, he pulled the gun away and just stood there. There was a brief moment where the only sound were of her cries, but she finally spoke, with her head still down.

"I am dead anyway Snake…Even if I return to the others, Mantis will know of my treachery. It could be that he has heard every word of it already by listening in on us…"

He knew she was right. Closing his eyes and drawing in a deep and heavy breath, Snake put his arms back in place and positioned the gun, pointing it towards her head.

When he did, she stopped crying. And then, there was no other sound in the vicinity.

For about 15 seconds, he stood there. Finally, opening his eyes again, he thought of one final thing to ask.

"What's it like…" he began.

"What?" Sniper Wolf asked, in a calmer tone that suggested she was ready. It also made him feel more so.

"Death…what's it like?" Snake asked.

"It's…dark…but quiet…" her head tilted slightly to the side. He could barely see her face, but there was her mouth, curled upwards into a small smile, as if she was fondly recalling it.

And that was the last thing he needed to see. No longer was he feeling unable to perform the task. Snake cocked the gun and swiftly pulled the trigger.

The bullet entered her head and zipped out through the back of it, a stream of blood following it on the other side, emitting a small trail of red spots where it sprayed.

Her body fell backwards from the force, and Snake could see a contented expression underneath a mask of blood upon her face. Sniper Wolf's hair flowed in the opposing direction of her fall, but it gracefully scattered across her face once the entire body lay against the concrete.

And, just as she had wanted, Snake took the handkerchief and placed it over her face.

He then stood back up and looked around. His right hand came up to his face and swept downwards, rubbing off her blood, but also a single line of clear liquid that had trickled down his cheek.

Turning around, he slowly walked off into the direction where he had been previously running off to. With the information she had given him, Snake now knew what to do. He would have to try and get in contact with Samus to retrieve Zelda, if the bounty hunter hadn't already dropped the Princess off.

But first, he would need to talk with Otacon and get a transport off of this planet. He would also need to have a talk with Rauru, over this Hylian power known as the Triforce…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Yes, yes this story is weird and very...umm detail oriented...? I tried to explain more of it here, to the best of my abilities without it sounding too convaluted. I hope that most readers, who have been following up to this point, have remembered and read every single chapter previous to this, otherwise, you might be lost. This story requires a close attention to every plot point. And some of the reviews I have recieved have suggested that some haven't read all the chapters. That, and the fact that the Stats on this story show that various chapters are more popular than others. I can understand people jumping in to just read their favorite character or whatnot, but the story probably makes no sense to them...XD Ah well.

If you have read all the chapters, and are still confused, just ask me a question and I will clarify! If it's a question like, "what has happened to Link," well, you'll have to wait that one out.

I'm going to try and sum things up so far here:

Wolf, Ganondorf, and Liquid Snake and Ocelot have made a tri-pact. Wolf would benefit Liquid and Ocelot by providing Phazon. (He provides the Phazon by hiring the SPC. The SPC have an alliance with the Flood, and so Wolf had to provide fertile grounds for the regrowth of the Gravemind and the Flood to be given the Phazon. Thus, the Hylian blockade.) So Wolf provides the Phazon, which Ocelot and Liquid need for their new Metal Gear. Why? Will be explained later.

Wolf also benefits Ganondorf's end of the deal by creating the chaos in the Chozon Prime. Through the space pirate investigations, Wolf created a plan of deception with Link. Link falls for the trick, and is then imprisoned at the League. Supposedly, he has been captured by Ganondorf. Thus, Wolf helps Ganondorf.

And in doing all this, Wolf is guaranteed a spot as the Leader of the League. Hence, Sniper Wolf killing Magnus. But has Wolf secured the role as the 47th Leader? Not yet. Why would he want that position? Because he is a power hungry beast.

Ganondorf's end of the deal would provide the mighty power of the Triforce for Ocelot and Liquid, if only those two and Wolf would provide him with Zelda and Link, of whom is obviously needed for Ganondorf to have the Triforce. Why do Ocelot and Liquid want the Triforce? Will be explained later.

But what about Ganon on Tellius, harboring a war against Altea? Will be explained later.

So I guess the real question is, why is Ganondorf willingly offering up the powers of the Triforce to Ocelot and Liquid? So that he can use those two to help him in capturing Link and Zelda. Because he's obviously never successful in doing that on his own. : P

Phew, I hope that's it!

Oh, and thanks again for everyone who has reviewed and supported this story! It really means a lot to me. : D


	17. Chapter 17: Sheik

**Part One**

**Chapter Seventeen: Sheik**

It was dark all around her and there was a tremendous pain in her jaw and chin, as if it was slamming against something, causing the teeth to chatter each time the lower and upper rows would clash.

Light was beginning to emanate through her eyelids, causing Sheik to stir and awaken from the momentary unconsciousness she had experienced after hitting the concrete ground right outside of the bar's door.

But what was causing her jaw to ache? It was a pulsating, repeated pain that was irking the sheikah warrior. Finally opening her eyes wide, only to have to immediately close them in the blinding brightness, Sheik forced the eyelids to once again drawback and expose the white orbs underneath. Her pupils shrunk to compensate for the light, but she could finally see around here.

And she realized what her chin had been slamming against. It was somebody's backside.

"What's going on? Where am I…?" she thought to herself, increasingly going into panic mode. She had remembered the entire experience back at the bar, with those three rogues harassing her and how she had been drugged up on that drink the black haired man had given her.

But it seemed the effects of that had worn off. Her mind was groggy, but she was in enough control of herself now, that she could feel every movement she made was entirely intentional now, and not under the haze of a hallucinogen.

And in that realization, Sheik discovered that, while she was in control of herself now, somebody or thing was holding onto her.

When she had woken, it was dark all around her because she was staring down at the grayish black asphalt. Sheik was facing it because she was hanging over something, with her upper torso slumped and dangling in the air. And thus, her chin was hitting the backside of whoever was carrying her.

She thought about stirring around and repositioning herself to get a better look at who it was exactly, but then she remembered how Mauro had said something about Hylian's being wanted all over the galaxy. If that was so, to let them know she was awake could foil any attempt at escaping.

But why did they want her? When she had heard that, it had startled her, but she couldn't think much of it due to the effects of the drug.

Her mind began to flood with a series of questions and thoughts all surrounding this notion that Hylian's were sought after. Did it have something to do with Link? Had that man she had encountered back at the League with the gas mask found out that she was the real princess and was thus after her? There couldn't be any other explanation. The Hylian's were considered the "hermits" of the galaxy, preferring the natural beauty of the land and the ancient and mystic powers of magic, rather than industry and technology, and under that notion, nobody could have a reason to go after them. But, as she had felt in her short reign, things were beginning to change.

And now that her planet was under attack by the Flood, the weaknesses of Hylia were exposed to not only the entire galaxy, but to each citizen of her planet. Their lack of technology, their tradition of looking inward and staying out of foreign affairs, and their reliance on mysticism was their downfall…

But what scared her the most about why Hylian's were being hunted was the possibility that the knowledge of the power of the Triforce had been leaked. And there was nobody in all the systems and planets that could share such information, and have the abilities to back it up.

"Ganondorf…" she gritted her teeth as she considered that he probably had something to do with this.

In this moment though, Sheik could not allow herself to be distracted by possibilities and chance circumstances. What was real was that somebody was carrying her off to god knows where, and that wherever they were taking her would probably be detrimental to her safety.

She thought about playing unconscious until the perfect moment arrived for her to escape, but Sheik wouldn't know when that would be, and the wait could land her in some hot water not knowing what was to become of her.

Furthermore, she couldn't stir around too much to get a sense of how she could operate physically. Who knew how far reaching the effects of the drug could have on her.

But then the moment arrived and felt ripe for an escape. The man who was carrying was about to lift her up momentarily to readjust her hanging body. And right when she reached the peak height of his slight lift, Sheik pressed her two palms into his back, threw her legs over and thrust herself into a flip, landing about three feet behind him. The force of her jump had knocked him down, and there was much cursing and shouting ensuing.

Sheik whipped herself around to face her opponents, of which she assumed were going to fight back after what she had just done. As she turned around, she felt a slight lag between her desire to move, and the actual movement made. The drug must not have completely worn off.

But no matter, Sheik's greatest power was speed and agility, and she had hoped that this would give her the advantage. Although deep down she felt inclined to turn into her truer form of Zelda to just wipe them out with her powerful magic, but to lose the disguise would defeat the purpose of being on Port Town Aero Dive.

So instead she resolved to stay as Sheik.

Once she had completely turned around, she faced the three men that had given her such trouble back at the bar. Her arched eyebrows sunk deep into her red eyes and leered at the men, with both a taste for revenge, but mainly a disdain for the havoc they had instilled upon her.

Sheik watched as Mauro, the black haired man, reached his hand towards a holster. While he did, Gethin, the fat one that she had briefly heard his name mentioned, was clumsily standing himself back up. The other one, with the aviation gear on, had a wide grin on his face as he pulled out a long, black stick. He wrapped two hands onto it and cocked the item, of which Sheik now realized was a gun. It gave a _che-shing_ sound, and the man squealed in delight as he fired the weapon aimed at her.

The black gun emitted a massive booming sound, and Sheik leapt out of the way in the nick of time, as shrapnel from the bullet exploded behind her. Some pieces grazed her leg, but nothing too serious was inflicted.

"What are you crazy?!" Mauro yelled at the other one. "We want him alive, not dead! Put down your shotgun!!"

Sheik ignored the two of them as they argued, and moved in on the fat guy who had just fully stood up. After leaping out of the way from the shotgun blast, Sheik had dodged and stumbled behind the man. She immediately came up to his back and slashed her right arm at his neck. The palm was horizontal and struck at an angle against his fleshy skin.

He immediately fell back down, losing consciousness from the hit. As his large body tumbled down, Sheik could see the two other men moving in on her from beyond.

Mauro, with a gun in hand, stopped, aimed the pistol at her, and fired. Sheik was able to narrowly dodge because the gun had to take a moment to charge. A bright orange laser flashed past her legs, as she began a back flip to evade.

She threw herself backwards and landed her palms against the concrete ground. Her body went parallel to the rough terrain for a brief second as the laser skimmed past her.

Once it flew by, her body completed the flip and she landed upright. The man with the goggles and helmet was right in front of her as she regained her posture. He still had the black shotgun in his hand and raised it up before her. Sheik had little time to react as he brought it downwards, taking a large swing with it.

She drew her two arms criss-cross in front of her face to guard. The weapon came slamming against her block, but she held her ground as the man continued to force the weapon against her arms.

The two of them were now locked, with his arms holding the long gun as he used it to push her. Sheik was leaning back against his force, as she pushed back. The man was gaining ground on her, as her feet were sliding backwards.

A wide smile began to manifest below the goggles that covered up half of his face. It began to grow wider and his teeth were beginning to bare more, the further back he was pushing her.

His face was now only a few inches away and getting closer. She could feel his hot breath panting down at her, and when the two profiles were only millimeters away, he began to chuckle, causing some saliva to rain down upon her.

The man's laughter quickly increased into a maniacal sort, and he gave one last heave, shoving Sheik completely backwards, throwing her to the ground.

"What's so funny?" Mauro asked. He was bent down over the large man who was unconscious.

"Aaahehehehe…" the man continued laughing. "It's a woman…aheheheh…" he began to move slowly towards Sheik, who was now on the ground, writhing from the pain of her backbone grazing against the rough concrete.

"How can you be sure?" Mauro asked intently now. "You know what that would mean right? If this is a woman…"

"Aheheheheh…Yes I do. And I'll prove this."

Sheik had forced herself up, still lying, but now curled up, with her elbows planted on the ground. She shook her head to move the blond hair from obstructing her vision and opened her eyes in time to see the shotgun careening down towards her.

There was no time to move. It flew past her face and hit her square between the legs. The pain caused her to temporary lose her breath and throw her chest forward, slumping over in shock.

"What the hell did that prove?" Mauro said, walking over to the man who had just disabled Sheik.

The man shrugged his shoulders, but still had that massive grin as he laughed aloud.

"You are fucking useless," Mauro remarked, as he charged up his gun and shot a laser pulse from behind the other man. It struck the man's back, and he began to shake and tremble, before falling over and hitting the ground. His mouth was stretched open in a fixed gaze of shock, with his tongue hanging out.

But as Sheik was still hunched over in the fetal position on the ground, she peeked an eye out and saw as the man was still breathing even though he was frozen and rigid upon the floor.

She then watched in horror, as Mauro brought the same pistol to the man's head. He adjusted a button on it, and then pulled the trigger. A _kerrplunk _sound was made, and the head of the man briefly shook afterwards. Mauro then pulled the gun away, and in the place where it had been was a clean cut hole in the man's head. Blood trickled out slowly, and she could see as a bloody steel rod retracted back into the pistol.

The whites of Sheik's eyes grew larger as she watched Mauro casually killing what she suspected was his friend. The man was more psychotic than she had originally thought. But now that two were down, there was only one more to go, and then she could make her escape.

Still shaken up from the blow to her groin, Sheik reached her right hand, hidden in her curled up position, and pulled out five sharp, metal objects.

She remained there, huddled close to the ground and breathing heavily from the previous struggle against the man who was now dead. Her head glanced upwards and watched Mauro as he walked over to her.

Their eyes were locked as he moved towards Sheik.

"Don't worry. Your fate will not be like his. I can't exactly say what it will be when I turn you over, but one thing's for sure. I'll be able to afford something greater than this," he stated bitterly, with his nose crinkling into a displeased expression.

He stood above her, with his pistol pointed down in her direction and began to charge it up. It was about to reach the zenith of its pulse, when Sheik threw her left arm out and then did the same action with her right.

Five sharp needles that had been nestled between each knuckle on her right hand went flying towards Mauro. They struck him one at a time.

The first one through his cheek, the second on his neck, the third in the middle of his chest, the fourth in the center of his torso, and the fifth planted itself below his navel.

Sheik watched as his body froze on the impact of the metal objects. He quickly dropped the gun and brought both of his hands to the needle that had gone into his neck. It had pierced an artery that was along his esophagus, and the man was slowly beginning to choke on his own blood as it spilled down his throat.

Sheik slowly began to stand herself up, as she watched with a fixed stare as the needles were silently killing him. Mauro had both of his hands gripping his neck, as if that would stop the choking. Blood trickled and spurted from his mouth each time he coughed and gasped for air.

Just as Sheik was moving to stand up, Mauro was slowly sinking down, first falling on his knees, then sitting back, resting his rump on his feet. He slumped forward and continued to cough on the blood as his head hung, facing the ground.

The black haired man then fell onto his side, curled up and heaving through the blood's thickness in his lungs.

Sheik could hear the popping and gurgling dissipate as he slowly stopped moving. His eyes were still wide open, but the rise and fall of his chest stopped.

He had finally died. Sheik stood over him, with a frown on her face that suggested both a feeling of stern contemplation and weariness. She had never experienced such a visceral death before. Seeing Magnus and Nabooru being murdered was close, but their deaths were quick. This time she had to watch as Mauro's final minute, final second of life came and went.

It filled her with an empty feeling. She couldn't think or say anything. Her mind drew blanks and her eyes averted the sight of the two bodies lying on the ground. She looked up into the night sky and pulled down the white cloth that was covering her mouth. Once she had done so, it was like a rush of cold air danced across her skin and lips, inviting her to draw a deep breath that would hopefully shake the strange lack of emotions within her.

But it didn't work, to her dismay. She readjusted the cloth over her face and took a step forward.

"Oi! And not a minute too soon there, my lovely," spoke the thick accented and large man that Sheik had presumed was still unconscious.

Suddenly, Sheik felt herself uncontrollably freeze. Her body locked up and twitched in rapid and small movements. A surge of unfamiliar energy zipped up her spine and then her body dropped to the ground.

Her face was fixed in an expression of shock. Legs, arms, neck, torso, none of it would move. She would think about, could feel herself doing it, but the physical gesture would not be reciprocated.

"Thank the bloody gods. Now I'll get my sweet, sweet reward," she heard him talking to himself.

"He must've had the same gun…Damn it…Why didn't I make sure he was out? Why didn't I disarm him…?" she thought to herself, frustrated by this change in events.

Her vision was beginning to blur and darken. Whatever that paralyzing gun had done, it was now affecting her senses. As her vision was nearly completely blurred, she noticed that her sense of sound was failing her too.

When she finally couldn't see clearly, she heard something strange. A voice that seemed familiar to her. One that she had heard earlier, but so briefly, that the sound of it once again only sparked the notion that perhaps it was familiar. There was no way she could connect the voice to a person. She couldn't see anymore and things were beginning to fade completely out of her senses…

- - -

When she awoke, Sheik found herself in a soft and warm bed in a dimly light room. There was one small light in the far corner of the room, but other than that, there were gradations of darkness. She stirred to her left, only to find a wall adjacent to the bed. She stirred to her right and saw a dark form in the other corner of the room.

It looked like a human form. It was large, somewhat bulky, and it just stood there. Who could it be? Had she been captured by that large man?

Sheik propped herself up and squinted her eyes to try and sharpen her vision on this person. And it began to move forward out of the shadows and into the light.

Out of the darkness came a muscular man, wearing a blue skin tight suit, yellow gloves, and a red helmet.

"You!!" Sheik blurted out, unintentionally. It was the same man she had bumped into previous to going to the bar.

"You were out for some time, but paralyzers aren't permanent. At least, the legal kind isn't," he smirked at her.

"What happened? Why am I here?" Sheik hastily asked him. "And…who are you?"

"Huh? You mean you don't recognize me?" he retorted.

"Well, yes. You were that man I ran into earlier this evening-"

"Huh? Oh…right, yeah," he said. "But is that all?"

Sheik paused for a moment. What could he mean by that? She felt like there was something she was supposed to know, but somehow had forgotten.

"…What do you mean by 'is that all'?" she finally questioned.

The man drew a heavy sigh and then pulled up a chair next to the bed. He rested his chin on his hand that was supported by the elbow on the arm rest.

"Never mind then. Let me get straight to what happened, as it's not everyday you blank out and awaken in someone else's room. When I had found you out in the alley near the bar, you were lying on the ground, completely frozen, and standing above you was a rather hefty man with a nerve gun, as you had experienced…and as they are also known as…but anyway. You were lying there, amidst two other dead bodies, so I figured there was a problem of sorts," the man explained.

"I had known those three men, of which two laid dead on the ground. They frequent my club and cause a lot of trouble to unsuspecting foreigners, so-"

"You are the owner of that club?" Sheik cut in.

"Well, you could say that. An investor really. I own several franchises and establishments on Port Town Aero Dive, but this is one of my private possessions, so to speak…_ahem_…" he cleared his throat and spoke as if that was some kind of secret.

"But back to the story…So there were those three thugs, or shall I say one at that point, and he was hovering over you like some kid in a candy store. Since there were two down and one to go, I figured hey, why not finish the job. So I killed the fella," he plainly said to her.

Sheik's eyes grew wide to the strange way he spoke of killing someone. As if it was just a task that needed to be completed.

"Wha? Don't look at me like that! It's not like I do that…_everyday_…" he said, acting coy.

"Wait…" Sheik saw something in him that stood out. It sparked a far off memory within her.

"Could it be…?" she thought aloud. "You're not…_the_ Captain Falcon…are you? That helmet, that eye mask…"

"Oh great…" he muttered.

"It is you. That's what you meant by 'is that all?'," Sheik concluded.

"Yep, you found it out. Though I originally assumed you knew this. But since you didn't, I figured I could tell you about my ownership to the bar…oh, great…" Capt. Falcon sighed.

"Is it really some kind of secret?" she asked him.

"Well, yeah! If the entire galaxy knew that Captain Falcon owned a strip club, killed people from time to time for the sake of business, I wouldn't be littered with all these contracts and marketers knocking down my door for franchise deals…I would be out of my job and living on the streets…well maybe not the latter…but still…"

Now Sheik had completely recalled the fame and industry that was known as Captain Falcon. Even on Hylia it had a fairly large group of fans.

He was the greatest F-Zero racer in the galaxy, winning nearly every race he participated in. He embodied the spirit of justice and the do-right attitude that really appealed to the younger crowd, and was probably the attributing factor to his face being on every cereal box, the popularity of his plastic figurines and plush toys in his likeness, and countless other products that he made his mark on. In fact, there was probably not one piece of household equipment or utility that didn't have a Captain Falcon type made. From toothbrushes, to T-shirts, silverware and bed sheets, he nearly had it all.

And it was curious to Sheik that he would own a strip club. If that was known, his image would be tarnished forever. And if people, especially his die hard fans knew that he "offed" people in the name of business, well…the persona of justice would be erased forever from the books.

"We can keep this our little secret though, right? We can call it paying me back for saving you out there," he said.

Sheik nodded her head, though she would never be able to think the same of Captain Falcon again. Not that she was terribly into F-Zero races, but to think that she held such an odd tidbit of information…

"Good. Glad that's settled. But I guess we all have out secrets, no?" he leaned back in his chair and studied her under the eye piece.

Sheik considered what he just said. It reminded her that she was still under the disguise, and in fact held a very important secret. That she was actually the princess of Hylia, and that people were out to get her. But for what reason still remained a mystery to her.

_Blip….Blip….Blip….Blip…._

There was a slight beeping sound coming from the communicator she had recently been given before everyone had split up at the League. She wondered if she should answer it here or not.

_Blip….Blip….Blip….Blip…._

"Well, aren't you going to answer that?" Capt. Falcon asked.

"Uh huh," Sheik said, getting up and out of the bed and walking towards the door.

"Oh, I see…" he said, resting his chin back on his palm.

Sheik exited the room and found herself in a narrow and dark hallway. She closed the door for privacy and answered the COM.

"Hello?" Sheik said.

"Huh? Oh Sheik, it's Rauru. I was half expecting your other form for some reason. But this obviously makes better sense," the old man said over the COM.

"What is it Rauru? Is there a problem?" she asked him.

"Yes there is. A big problem. One that needs to be resolved immediately, but I fear that may not be possible," he said.

"Huh? What is it?" Sheik hastily inquired.

"Where are you right now?" Rauru answered with a question.

Bothered by the lack of response, Sheik abruptly told him of the planet she was on.

"No…no this is not good. Not good at all. This is far more dire than I had originally conceived. Listen, you need to get out of there as quickly as possible. There is no time to dawdle," Rauru remarked.

"I don't get it, what is going on? I need a more clear answer!" she angrily replied.

"Snake had just contacted me not too long ago. He has gathered much information that I cannot relay to you over this, for fear of someone listening in. To make things short, you are in the same System that the gang of people that conspired to kill Nabooru are. It is possible that they may be able to locate you through "non-traditional" means. By that I mean they have a psychic who may be searching for you right now!"

"Mantis…?" Sheik muttered. She recalled her and Snake discussing that man.

"Sheik, unfortunately, there is no way we can contact Samus to get you out of there. For some reason, she is not responding to our signals sent to her. I fear for her safety, but I also must consider your's first and foremost. I could send Snake in to get you-"

"No," Sheik cut him off.

"No? What choice do you think you have?" Rauru bitterly retorted.

"That might take too long. I can get out of here right now."

"Fine. I trust in you Zel-Sheik," he quickly corrected. "Just come back to the  
League as swiftly and discreetly as possible."

"I will," Sheik said, closing the line. She put her hand upon the door and sighed. She had hoped this rash plan of hers would work.

Opening the door, Sheik walked in and stood before Capt. Falcon in a rigid, stiff pose. He slowly turned his head to look at her, but didn't seem bothered by her obvious difference in attitude.

"Captain Falcon, it is true what you had said. We all have our secrets. Some may be trivial and hold no serious repercussion if they were to be told. And then there are those that hold the weight of the galaxy upon them. It is not a matter of reputation, money, nor business. This could mean the difference between the fate of people I hold dear to me, and one that has already vanquished those I never was able to bring into my heart. Can we make another deal, to bind our secrets together?" Sheik asked him.

Captain Falcon crossed his arms and squinted his eyes. "I don't know. I don't like to get involved with things that don't concern me. I was pretty sure we had already sealed our original pact."

Sheik closed her eyes as she was about to recreate what she had done at the League. This time, there was more risk involved. But the history of events surrounding her escape from Hylia was one risk after another. How could this be any different?

Sheik crossed her hands in front of her, as the Triforce symbol glowed upon her right hand. The light grew to such a blinding brightness, that she could barely make out Captain Falcon cowering in his seat.

And just as before, the light dissipated and Zelda stood before him, in her regal and warrior-like dress.

"My god!" Falcon blurted, in amazement. "He's a she!"

A small smile spread across Zelda's face. "Yes. That was Sheik, my alter persona. A body that I inhabit when the circumstances call upon it."

Captain Falcon now stood before her, with an open, gaping mouth. The shock factor never ceased to fail when Zelda did this.

"Can we agree to keep this a secret?" Zelda asked him.

Captain Falcon just stood before her, with a blank expression in his eyes, as if his mind was wandering elsewhere. Finally, he spoke.

"Yes…Yes…of course. But, is it allowed that I know who you are? I have never seen such…" his head was nodding off as if he couldn't find the right word.

"I am Princess Zelda of Planet Hylia-"

"A Hylian?!" he cut in. "No wonder you were disguised!! And the Princess herself!!" he exclaimed.

Zelda paused for brief second when he had cut her off, but then continued. "And I need your help. If you-"

"Listen…" he began. "I don't think I should be getting involved in this…I mean, there's a lot at stake if I were to have you aboard here. And I mean…A LOT at stake." His hands were waving off in front of his chest, signaling a disagreement.

Her usual stern and stoic expression became a look of loss and disappointment. She crossed her left arm and rested the other one on it, while cupping her cheek into her right hand. Zelda looked down at the ground, trying to consider what to do next.

"But…it's hard for me to let such a pretty thing like you down. I couldn't not answer the call to a woman in distress."

Zelda just glanced up at him with her eyes. She wasn't too inspired by his appeal to the "damsel in distress" heroism, but if this was how he would rationalize helping her, she had to accept it.

"I need to get out of here," she said. "I need you to take me to the League of Cosmos. And right away, if you don't mind."

"Well, alright. This is the fastest ship in the galaxy, so you are lucky to have found me," he chuckled.

That small smile crept back on her face. He returned it with a pleasant expression as well.

"Now that's what I prefer to see," Falcon spoke, and then walked past her. She turned herself to follow him.

He turned back to her and stood at the door.

"There are two seats in the cockpit, if you'd like front row," he said.

"Sure," Zelda's smile grew bigger and she caught up with him at the door. The two of them exited the room and headed towards the cockpit, where they would finally depart from Port Town Aero Dive.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note:** Hehe, so Captain Falcon has quite a shady lifestyle. I hadn't really played the F-Zero games to the point where I understood his character, so I had to make this up. I hope it qualifies well enough. At least he's not being bashed as is often the case.

So he's famous and rich, and has many products and such with his face on it. But then, he secretly owns a strip club and can kill someone for the well-being of others (Sheik) or for the sake of his reputation and money.

But he's not really selfish or an asshole. For example, if some racer, of who he has to compete with in the races for money, threatens to sabotage his ship or his life, Capt. Falcon would totally off the guy.

He can just have that mean streak if somebody were to threaten him or his business. He's really a good guy, you just wouldn't want to get on his bad side...

And if he came across as a bit of a skeez towards Zelda, I didn't mean it like that. He just has a weakness for the ladies, but not in a pervy way. He's a "closet chivalrous" type.

Alright, so onto the reviews. At least the anonymous ones I couldn't respond to.

**Flowershop78: **Sorry if I made you cry!! Hehe, but at least the emotion I was aiming for was achieved!

**She's Going the Distance: **Thank you so much for the compliment. : )

**alberto4395: **I hope this answered your question about Captain Falcon's involvement. Unlike the others, he is more or less just thrown into the fray. The others have more of a back-story, and Ike's storyline will begin to make more sense by his next chapter update.


	18. Chapter 18: Samus

**Part One**

**Chapter Eighteen: Samus**

"Are you okay, Samus?" Falco asked her, as the two of them were trying to regain their composure after tumbling forward from their seats.

While rubbing her temples from the aching pain, not just from the former wound on her abdomen, but also from the beating she took from falling forward, Samus sat back up and looked around.

The escape capsule was dark, having just lost power from the impact incurred.

The two of them were evading the Flood's attack on board the Great Fox, and when their escape pod had jettisoned off the ship, shrapnel from the attack had knocked them off course.

Falco had anticipated just floating out into space, and then making an attempt to contact someone to pick them up, but because of the change in plans, the former idea would not work.

"Uhhn…where are we?" the blue bird asked Samus.

The bounty hunter was putting on her Power Suit now, as additional protection for her injured body, and to also provide her with the ability to investigate the situation more aptly.

After putting on her helmet, she scanned the small room with her visor. Many different pieces of information appeared right before her eyes, and she was able to quickly tell what was important and what was non-essential.

The main power control panel was highlighted on her visor, and she took a few steps to reach it. Although not an amazing techie herself, Samus could still hack into computer systems at a relatively novice level.

Although the power had short circuited, the emergency "stand-by" energy reserve had to be available on this small pod. Samus momentarily gave a burst of energy, by using her suit's shield strength, to the electrical system, restarting the main computer.

The screen flickered on, then off. She tried it once again, and the computer finally uploaded itself.

Falco simply sat in the corner, watching her as she worked in silence.

"Need any…help?" he questioned her, with a slight sense of arrogance in his inflection.

She figured she was just being underestimated again because of her female gender, so she verbally ignored this. Instead, she just lifted one hand into the air, with the back of it facing him, to let him know she was entirely capable of fixing the situation.

After a few minutes of navigating the mainframe, Samus had been able to find the emergency power reserve and restart it. The electrical system received a boost of energy from this, and light was restored to their small escape pod.

And now, the small window to their room that had shut after colliding with debris out in space could be reopened, and the two would finally figure out where they were.

As she pressed the button to uncover the window, both Samus and Falco walked up to it, staring in awe as an even brighter light began to flood over their faces as the shield on the window went down.

"Where have we landed…?" Falco slowly said, as the window was now completely open to viewing.

Outside, Samus could see countless amounts of white specs, drifting across the window. And they were landing on sheets of white land.

"…Snow?" Samus finally concluded, after her retinas seemed to ache from the stark whiteness.

Falco turned his head to her, with a perplexed look on his face.

"Where still in the Chozon Prime…right?" he asked her.

She only nodded her head in response. Then she leaned in further at the circular window to get a better look.

As a sheet of snow drifted out of view, she could see the landscape more clearly. There were ridges and small canyons up ahead, all covered in snow.

"Could it be…?" Samus thought to herself. She had a feeling like she knew where they were.

"Well, how long am I going to have to wait until you tell me where we are? You're supposed to be from around here, right?" Falco annoyingly said.

"We're on the Phendrana Drifts," Samus bluntly responded, now walking away from the window.

"What? No…" Falco nearly whispered, moving in on where Samus had just been.

"I heard this place was vacant, save for the natural inhabitants. But I guess that's good for us. We could hide out here for a while-hey what are you doing?" Falco interrupted him self, looking as Samus was activating the door to open it.

"I'm going out," she said. While scanning through the window, she had detected an unusual amount of heat residing beneath the terrain. It was odd because the temperature was radiating from below an ice and snow covered ground.

She had this seeping suspicion that perhaps space pirate activity was also resurrected on this planet. The last time she had to deal with this area was with Kraid and his laboratory experiments with the Phazon.

And there was an all too great chance that because the Phazon was being mined, that it could also be stored here once again. But that was too obvious, right? After destroying the place, Samus would figure that if anything, remaining pirates would search for a new place. But there was really no other planet that was cold enough to contain the toxic element.

Samus was about the leave the pod to explore the planet, but she stopped, realizing that to do so would to endanger Falco's life. The place, after all, exceeded below sub-zero temperatures and if she opened the hatch, he wouldn't be properly protected against the elements. Worse than that, she wondered when the pod itself would begin to drop and conform to the planet's temperature.

Pausing for a moment, she turned to the bird. He was looking directly at her, wings crossed and tapping one foot.

"You going to go?" he asked.

"I can't leave you here. You'll freeze to death. Is there something on board that you can wear to protect yourself?" the bounty hunter questioned.

"I really wouldn't know. I've never had to um…resort to an escape pod before," Falco admitted.

Feeling a little impatient now, as Samus was hoping Falco would take it upon himself to at least LOOK for something, she resolved to search herself. There were several compartments all around the small room with some storage units were built in beneath the two small seats.

Samus began to sift through them, hoping to find some protective wear. While she looked, she noticed Falco in the peripherals of her vision, fiddling with something on the control panel.

"I wouldn't be playing around too much with that thing. We're operating under reserve power, and could lose it at any moment," she warned him.

His eyes shifted to her, then resumed back to the control panel. There was an odd lack of communication between the two. And it was beginning to irk Samus, but she remembered after briefly meeting Falco in the not too distant past, that he was headstrong.

And she was the same, so there was definitely going to be a struggle between the two.

"Falco? Listen-" But before she could continue, he lifted a wing up to stop her, doing just as she had done to him previously.

"I am trying to activate the emergency beacon. Hopefully, this will guarantee a rescue for us. And before you start huffing and puffing, it's meant to operate with little power, so you don't have to worry there," Falco explained.

After just lecturing her for a brief moment, Falco turned to his left, with his back to Samus. He bent over and opened a storage container, pulled out a white and grey space suit, and began to put it on.

"I thought you didn't know where that kind of stuff was…" Samus, putting a hand on her hip and shifting her weight, said with slight irritation.

"Yeah, that's true. But I also looked up on the computer for where it was. So…here it is," Falco finished, adjusting a helmet and visor on his head.

Shrugging that off, Samus turned back to the door and finally opened it. She stepped out into the cold air and watched through her visor as particles of snow flew past her. The bounty hunter put one hand on her laser cannon and continued walking forward, with Falco following behind.

"So you know this place pretty good, huh?" she heard his voice speaking behind his helmet.

"Yes, I've been here before. And something tells me that I'm back for the same reason," Samus returned.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" he asked her.

"It's the same thing that you and Fox have been trying to prevent from being mined," she explained.

"The Phazon? What the hell does it have to do with the Phendrana Drifts? You told us it was all located on Tallon IV!" Falco's voice was sounding angrier than she had ever heard before.

"That's exactly right. And, as I had explained during the mission's briefing, the Phendrana Drifts was the home of the other well-known space pirate ringleader, Kraid. But I have since killed him and destroyed the laboratories here. And that was a long time ago. It's possible that the SPC has commandeered the research labs and have breathed life back into them," Samus told him.

"So, why didn't we investigate here too? As a precaution at least…"

"We were short on manpower. Especially after the Hylian Fleet was pulled out. I had reserved them for such a task…but…fate took its course…" she solemnly finished.

Falco didn't say anything in response. She began to pick up the pace, as something familiar was scarcely being picked up on her visor.

Through sheets of snow passing against them in the ferocious winds, they trudged on. The two of them were walking through the snowy plains and over small rocky terrain, when they finally reach what Samus had been directing them towards. They climbed a relatively small hill and then looked around.

"Humph," Falco began. "I guess that's not a good sign."

Looking ahead, Samus could only agree with him. Although primarily covered in white, there was definitely a man-made structure about a quarter mile from them.

"We'd better go up ahead and investigate," she said, moving back down the hill towards the area. This could be her chance, if indeed the Kraid laboratories were back in action, Samus could finally obtain some form of evidence to use against Wolf.

There was almost a kick in her step the closer she got. Her heart was starting to beat faster than ever and her stomach was in knots.

Falco, who'd she expected to tell her to slow down, was actually right at her side, moving as quickly as her. She knew the two of them were being careless in charging ahead, but perhaps that was just another attribute they both shared.

They were more than half way to the structure, when something red flickered and went out near what Samus could now see was a door.

The two of them instantly dropped to the ground when they saw it, and waited. Samus kept her eyes on the dark grey door that was half covered in snow.

"So you saw that too?" Falco asked.

"Yeah, looks like there could be something going on…as I had assumed," Samus replied.

"But what do you think that was? Some security system?" the bird returned.

"Could be. I'd guess a thermo detector."

"Well then how would we get past it? We're clear as day in this cold climate if that's what it is!" Falco pestered her.

"Well, I'm not even sure if that's what it is. But just to be safe, I'll go on ahead and clear it," she told him.

"My former point of opposition still counts. Unless you happen to be cold-blooded…" he dryly remarked.

Samus ignored the jest. "Listen, I'll temporarily open the vents to my suit and let the cold air in. My temperature will drop significantly, and this is where I need you to pay attention. I could become too frigid and tense to close the air vents and reactivate the heating system. You'll have to run up to me after I dislodge whatever that thing was, just in case, alright?"

"You got it."

Samus then opened up the vents on her Power Suit, and could feel as the deathly cold air seeped in. Her body immediately began to shake and tremble. She was hoping that enough of the air would surround her Zero Suit within and create a blanket of disguise against the possible thermo detector up ahead. But she had another trick up her sleeve in the off chance that it wouldn't work so well.

Curling up into the ball form, Samus began to roll onward. At least in this form, there was less surface area of her to be detected.

She had finally reached the door to the building, and resumed her usual two legged stance. Looking up, she saw what both her and Falco had been wary of. It was indeed a security camera. It had a red lens, which was the exact thing that had caught their eyes.

Standing before it, Samus charged up her zero laser and fired away. The camera went down in a momentary cluster of flames, before falling into the snow.

She had been able to feel the small amount of heat from her main cannon, but was so overwhelmingly cold, that she just fell to her knees. Steam from her breath was clouding up her visor, making it difficult to close the vents and reactivate the heat. Her left hand was miserably shaking as she tried to feel for the precise button on her cannon so that she would now longer be so exposed to the elements.

She had figured this would happen, and that's why the plan called for Falco's assistance. Of which reminded her that he should be here any minute now…

Finally resolving to just pressing her palm against every button on her cannon, Samus hit the right one, and the vents closed and the heat circulated within. The steam on her visor began to disappear as well.

"You got it?" Falco's voice called out to her from a few feet away.

Turning to him, she sighed as her body's core temperature was resuming to a more healthy and comfortable level.

"Yeah, we're good. Let's go inside," she said. Standing back up again, Samus opened the grey door and the two of them proceeded inside. There were lights on and the familiar hum of electricity.

"Where do we even begin?" Falco said aloud.

As they walked down the entrance hall, they could see a wall up ahead, and two different halls proceeding to the right and the left.

The two of them just stopped, wondering which way to go. Samus used the scanner on her visor to try and find some clue as to what the better route would be.

"It's eerily quiet in here, though it seems like someone should be home," Falco spoke again.

After looking down both halls, Samus picked up something odd. Fresh footprints showed through on a thermal examination. They were leading down the left hall.

"Yes, somebody or thing is definitely here. Let's go this way," she instructed him, following the footprints that she could only see because of her suit.

She led him down a hall that seemed to get darker and darker the further they went. It was also, as she detected, getting much colder and elevating slightly downwards.

"Are we going…underground?" Falco asked.

"Yes, I think so."

The hall turned to the right, and became darker and angled further down. They kept going, until Samus noticed what appeared to be a window into another room. She stopped at it, and stared.

The room was completely dark.

"Unusual…" she thought to herself. She turned her scanner on once again, but noticed that she couldn't detect anything through it. Some kind of energy barrier had been built into the window.

Turning to Falco, she spoke. "We need to get inside of there. Let's look for an entrance."

They continued walking down the hall for sometime; Samus now had a light emanating from her suit to illuminate the now very dark area. The hall seemed to continue to make right turns, as if moving in a circular path.

Eventually, the two of them reached a door that she had hoped would lead to the room she couldn't see into. Opening it, she was surprised there was no locking mechanism.

Falco and Samus saw nothing but blackness inside.

"Is there a light switch, or something?" Falco wondered, wandering inside and pressing his wings around. He must have accidentally hit the right thing, as the entire place lit up.

The two of them walked deeper into the room, with eyes wide and gaping mouths.

All around them, now illuminated by the light Falco turned on, were strange specimens in testing tubes and stasis chambers. Some of them looked clearly dead, and some appeared to be "dormant."

"What the hell is this Samus?" Falco asked.

"It's just what I had feared. Experimentations…a laboratory. This place is active again. But for what, I cannot say yet."

The two of them proceeded in silence, walking around and staring in morbid curiosity at the sheer amount of creatures, from large to nearly microscopic, that seemed to be under some kind of experimentation.

Many bodies had large wounds held open by metal needles, displaying their innards. Some of them were drowned in what must've been their own blood, as a deep red liquid surrounded a few bodies in tubes.

"Oh god!" Samus accidentally blurted. Falco immediately turned to her and walked over.

Before them, in a moderately sized tubular chamber, was a human body. It had all sorts of wires and gadgets attached to it. But most discomforting of all, was the state the human was in. Black, articulated veins and arteries showed plainly through the very pale and thinning skin. The man looked as though the life had been literally sucked out of him. He had sunken cheeks and hallowed eyes.

"How long has this been going on, you think?" Falco questioned.

"I…don't know…" Samus replied, gritting her teeth in disgust. Who could have done this? Was it Kraid's henchmen, continuing the research he had left in ruins? That was impossible. She had destroyed it all.

That would leave the SPC, and that would incur the possibility that these were Phazon experiments.

Samus had to find out for sure. Walking over to a computer in the corner of the room, she turned it on and began to search through it. Thousands of files of every creature, human, and alien that was experimented on were listed. Beside each experiment's number, was the profile of the subject.

"Altean…Laguz…Hylian…Earthling…Lylat…Chozo…" were among other species and creatures.

Samus couldn't believe it. It seemed as though every kind of being in the universe was being tested. For what though, she wondered. And how these pirates could have apprehended and kidnapped them all. It must have taken a lot of time.

She opened a file at random to find more out about what was going on. Looking over it, her eyes caught the one word she dreaded to see.

"Phazon."

Not again, she thought. It seemed as though there was no end in sight for the exploitation of this hazardous element. Samus's mind quickly became flooded with anger and rage. Her left hand was curled up into a fist and was putting extreme pressure against the table the computer was on.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she released her grip, and got back to work. Her hands moved swiftly across the keyboard, punching in the right key at every moment, never having to correct anything. She was determined and with a one track mind.

She needed to know who was behind this. There had never been a more grisly and far reaching research on the Phazon than what was in this room. It wasn't even tantamount to the first time she came here.

During this search for those who were carrying out these experiments, she was able to discover that this computer was linked up to a larger main hull. Samus began to hack into it, hoping and assuming that there was more information to be gained by it.

After she bypassed a lengthy security system, Samus finally gained access to the main computer. Within it, she found file upon file of transcripts and messages relayed between three opposing people. They were under code names, but she could easily discern who was who after decoding an encryption on their personal files.

"Wolf…Ganondorf…" she muttered aloud. There were several messages between the two concerning the experiments going on here and when they would be completed. Through the messages, Samus discovered that they were close, but not finished with the Phazon experiments.

Turning to look over her shoulder, the tubes in the room around her confirmed that. Many of the specimens were dead, probably due to botched tests.

Before turning back to the main screen, she briefly watched as Falco was wandering around, eyeing everything and looking over the dead creatures.

And then, as Samus was about to open the file of the third person behind these experiments, she glanced over his name.

The winged creature that was her most hated nemesis.

Ridley.

Seeing that confirmed all her suspicions. The Space Pirate Confederation was indeed back in business, and Ridley was truly alive. That only added to the fact that the Flood had resurged in strength and power recently. The two of them had an unshakable alliance. That was probably due to the fact that the Flood aliens could not assimilate to the Ridley and his insectoid minions.

As Samus was staring at the screen, looking upon the small image of Ridley in his half metal form, (having been seriously injured by his and Samus's last encounter) she moved the cursor to click off and close the file, when she accidentally clicked on something else. She hadn't quite caught what it was, but something striking popped up.

It was a file labeled, "SUBJECT A: HOLDING CELL."

Peering in closer to the computer, Samus opened it, curious as to what it was.

Just after she did, an alarm was triggered and a red light began flooding and pulsating in the room. Had the authorities here caught on to what she was doing? Perhaps only now they realized their computer hull had been hacked into.

But the computer didn't shut down. The file was still loading, albeit slower than before.

"Samus! Look out!" shouted Falco, who had been behind her the whole time, wandering about.

Turning her head, she saw as a turret was lowering itself out from the middle of the ceiling. The guns were adjusting themselves in her direction. She was about to open fire to defend herself, when Falco had beat her to it.

With a gun that she had not seen on him earlier, he steadied his right wing over his left and fired. Three laser beams shot out and blasted the turret. It came crashing down in a ball of flames upon the center of the room, exploded and shattering several testing tubes.

The bodies of the aliens and creatures came spilling out, on fire, and emitting a terrible and rank odor.

"We'd better get out of here!" Falco called out to her.

"Hold on! Give me a few seconds!" Samus returned.

Turning back to the computer, she saw a familiar face looking back at her. The file had loaded completely, and the person known as SUBJECT A was none other than Link.

"No…no…" Samus thought to herself.

"Come on!" Falco yelled at her, rushing over. "We've got to leave!"

He was pulling on her arm, physically forcing her to move, but in her Power Suit that was almost impossible.

"It's Link!" she cried out. "He's being held captive!"

As she said that, two space pirates entered the room with guns in hand.

"Dammit! It's the SPC!" Falco angrily growled, letting go of Samus and ducking for cover.

As the insectoid pirates turned to her, Samus began firing from her cannon as she ran across the room to dodge and intercept them at the one doorway they were blocking. With her protective armor, she could take the hits better than normal people.

Plowing through them, she turned to Falco, who had gotten up and was rushing in from behind the tubes. The two of them left the room and began running back the way they came.

Every now and then a space pirate would appear from around the corner, but Samus would take it out with her seeking missiles or her laser cannon. And Falco took care of any pirate that was coming in from behind them.

Finally, after a long run through the building, they came back to the entrance hallway. And they were greeted with a large group of pirates, all blocking it.

"Falco! Cover me!" Samus yelled. The bird ran around from behind her and stood in front, shooting any pirate that tried to attack them. But they just kept coming.

"What's the plan, Samus?" he asked her, sounding worn out from the wave after wave of pirates. What he hadn't noticed though, was that she had asked him to cover her because she was charging up the Zero Laser.

Because she didn't reply, he began to turn his head.

"Duck!" she yelled.

And just as Falco did, Samus unleashed the power of her cannon. It wasn't brought up to full capacity, as that could destroy her suit. But it had such force and power that it blew away every pirate, from the ones down the hall, to those standing in front of them.

It also knocked open the door to the outside permanently, creating a gaping hole with singed metal edges.

Jumping to the opportunity, Samus and Falco ran on ahead, treading over the corpses of the pirates.

They finally exited the place and sunk their feet into the snowy terrain. They could still see their footprints from before, and followed them back to the pod. It would be a fairly long run back, but at least the strong winds had died down.

Out of breath and miserable to be out in the cold, they took a moment before opening the hatch upon arrival.

"…Falco…" Samus said to him, breathing heavily.

He looked up at her with tired eyes.

"…That's what the Phazon…has been used for…"

"Those experiments…?" he asked.

"…Yes…" she said.

Resting one gloved wing upon the emergency escape pod, Falco slumped over and hung his head, turning away from her. Perhaps it weighed just as heavily upon him.

His reaction was understandable, however. The sights they had witnessed were terrifying and left them full of the most powerful and heavy emotions. The ones people rarely felt in their life, but never forgot.

The two of them had entered the laboratories on the Phendrana Drifts under a suspicion, but came out with the knowledge of the experiments…of the Phazon….and of Link. And it was a chance circumstance that the two had discovered this.

It was akin to a person accidentally walking upon the fallout of heinous crime, undeserving of the sight and the atrocity, but unable to take back any part of what they had seen or felt because of it.

Returning to the inside of the pod, Samus and Falco sat opposite of each, averting their gaze and listening to the silence.

Samus couldn't help but think about what she could have done wrong to have allowed so much Phazon to be mined and stolen away, only to be used upon the innocent. A part of her felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility and guilt for what her and Falco had seen in the labs.

But she also felt dread and fear for the well being of Link. He was a prisoner to the space pirates here, but had he already succumbed to such tortuous testing? That she could not be sure of. There had to be more to the story of him being there. Why would Wolf and Ganondorf have conspired together with that trap they had set so long ago?

Samus tried to brush this off of her mind, knowing that there was nothing she could do for Link now, even if she was out here.

Leaning her torso over and resting her elbows on her knees, she sat there and wondered what they would do now.

_Bleep…bleep…bleep_

"Huh?" she said, looking around.

Falco, who had already taken off his helmet, jumped up from his seat and walked over to the control panel.

"It's a message…and from the Great Fox!" he exclaimed, with a sense of much deserved excitement.

Samus took of her helmet and walked over to him.

"What does it say?" she asked, anticipating the worst.

"It's…" Falco sighed and turned to her. "It's the best news we'll hear for a while…"

"Oh…?" Samus inquisitively replied.

"The Great Fox has been able to shake off the Flood's attack-"

"How?" Samus cut him off, wondering how and if that was possible.

"Well, our entire fleet of "organic" personnel had escaped. All that was left on board were our robots, with ROB of course. And the Flood obviously cannot assimilate with robotic systems, so there was nothing they could do but take it as ROB and his team took them on with the weapons left on board. And thank god!" he finished, almost chuckling to himself.

"The message from ROB says that the Great Fox is still under repairs, but can pick us up, as there is an important message that they received from the League," Falco continued.

"A message from the League? Did ROB say what it was?" she asked him.

"Yes. Representative Wolf is making what he calls a 'landmark announcement'."

As Falco said that, he locked eyes with Samus, who reciprocated. She could tell that he was wondering the same thing.

What did Wolf have to declare?

"I think we better get aboard the Great Fox. Perhaps the repairs will finish in time for our arrival at the League," Falco remarked.

Samus nodded in agreement. Even if it meant leaving Link behind here. If he was alive, that is.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Yeah, yeah, yeah I know there's a technical error here with the Metroid series. The Phendrana Drifts are actually just a region on Tallon IV, but I want to make it a separate planet for this story. So bare with it! :P

And what Samus did by opening the vents and letting cold air in was probably more impractical and dangerous than I portrayed it, but…who cares about logistics.

So this chapter took a lot longer to write. I just wasn't organized for it. I shall not do that again for Ike's chapter though, as that one is very important to the story. And it's just that chapter, plus one more and then Part One will be done with! Ohh…exciting.

We are currently on the brink of finding out about Link. It has taken about fourteen chapters, but we're finally there.


	19. Chapter 19: Ike

**Part One**

**Chapter Nineteen: Ike**

It felt unreal. It was horrific.

He had done it many times over and over, in his struggle against the Daein Army during the Crimean-Daein War. He'd wield a sharp blade to cut down his foes, but this was different.

The man didn't fight back. The man couldn't defend himself. And the man wasn't the enemy. He was an innocent soldier, captured and brought down by that very thing which he unwillingly had to fight against. After all, the Altean's had no problems or history with the planet of Tellius. It was a staged and propagated war by the laguz that had caused such a conflict. And discovering the reason as to why was more important than the man's life. At that moment, anyway. At least, that was how he tried to rationalize it.

The shame and the guilt had overcome Ike after killing the prisoner. Under normal circumstances, he would never have condoned these actions. Neither would any of the Greil mercenaries.

He thanked the gods that they didn't bear witness to what he had done.

The way the human blood tasted, the sound of the flesh being torn by his canines, and the cries and moans of anguish as the prisoner died. It would all be his secret…even beyond the grave.

And Ike, still in his wolf form, could do nothing to calm and heal himself emotionally, as he was now surrounded by many other laguz, all of whom had passed a similar test. But none of them seemed distraught about it. Some were in their half human form, while others were napping as beasts.

It was almost daybreak, and the fires in the camps were still burning. Ike was curled up with his head down and his nozzle resting above his two front paws. Every now and then, his ears would flicker to catch sounds from afar, or to satisfy an itching sensation. His eyelids wanted to shut, as he was exhausted from all the events, but he wouldn't allow it.

For one thing, his nerves were in a jumble and there was too much tension in the air.

Something big was going to happen, as they were all going to hit the dusty road to travel to the "greatest drop" as the dragon laguz had called it. It was the same laguz that had ordered Ike to kill the Altean.

But what the beast meant as the "greatest drop," Ike had not a clue. Although he was born and raised on Tellius, he couldn't think of a city or geological location that fit the description. Sure, there were mountains of which would suffice, but which one exactly?

As he allowed himself to be distracted by this mystery, Ike had tuned in at the last possible second to hear orders to move out. He assumed that they would be on their way to discover the "greatest drop."

And, as he had suspected, they were doing just that. It was a long and both treacherous and mundane hike up a mountain. There were jagged cliffs amidst a striking and beautiful scenery of trees and patches of green grass. But as they neared the summit, the land became dry and parched. Dead grass and rocks were scattered on both sides of the trail.

Continuing upwards, Ike listened in as the laguz talked amongst themselves.

"The Beast goes through many assistants…I'm surprised he's held onto that dragon for so long," a raven was discussing with a hawk.

"Well, that dragon's not doing much else but grunt work. You know, this sort of thing every time the Beast kills off another one. I mean, someone's got to clean up the mess and find replacements," the hawk remarked.

"That's true," the raven said.

The two of them passed by Ike.

Listening in to the others talk, Ike took note that no one had tried to talk with him. It was mostly because he was odd looking, as not many other laguz were wolf like or had fur as white as his. But he figured it was a good thing. After all, he wasn't a true laguz and couldn't speak in this cursed form of his.

After a long trek that became ever steeper, the large group of laguz at last found leveled terrain.

They had finally reached the top of the mountain, and Ike realized why the place was called the "greatest drop."

At the top and across the way, was what looked like a path leading to the edge of a cliff. It had a narrow ledge that strayed far from the massive land atop the mountain. And on the ledge was the silhouette of a person. In his wolf form, the breeze brought the scent of the person over to him, and it seemed familiar, but Ike couldn't put his finger on it.

The dragon laguz led them over to the ledge where the person stood. Then he turned to the crowd and spoke.

"You have all been brought here because you completed a rather simple task in the opinion of the Beast, but no less, it was fitting to show your taste for human blood. And now that you have shown no weakness against those who you considered former allies, you have been brought here for a test of wits. The final test."

Pivoting his body to the side, the dragon gestured his hand in the direction of the person standing on the ledge.

"We have a special monitor for these proceedings. No, not that person over there. That is our test subject and the object of failure. He is the fate of those who cannot complete their work and will reap the consequences of his own incompetence. A Prion bounty hunter, for those of you who may not be familiar-"

As the dragon said those words, Ike tuned out to the speech. He finally concluded why the scent was familiar. It was the same Prion who had hired him to capture Princess Zelda. And because that bounty hunter had relied on Ike to get the Princess, he was unable to fulfill the task, as Ike was now leagues away from her and operating on Tellius under a disguise.

He felt that this moment was sort of ironic. That to pass the final test, he would likely have to kill the very thing that threatened to kill him for not capturing Zelda. Ike would finally be rid of that Prion, of whom he regretted ever getting hired by, even though it was for important information on Ganon.

Tuning in again, Ike heard as the dragon announced the arrival of the person who would be overlooking this trial. He had a bad feeling he knew who it would be, knowing this was the final test.

Once the dragon stopped speaking, a dark cloud seemed to just materialize above everyone, casting a dark shadow. It looked like a storm cloud, but no rain or lightening came from it.

Below them, at their feet, a purplish mist began to seep around and blanket the dirt terrain. There was an odd scent to it, something that Ike had never had the sensation of before. All he could muse on it was that it felt…otherworldly.

Then everyone directed their attention towards the dragon, as they saw a dark shadow manifesting on the ground. It looked like a massive pit growing from nothing in particular. It was expanding in size, and as it did, the air became thick and heavy for a brief moment, until a strong breeze kicked up, and pulled towards the black hole.

It was pulling in on everyone, like a suction, towards the great shadow of a hole that was now about 30 fit wide.

A great silence filled the air once the wind stopped. And then, as maybe some had expected and others did not, a roar came from the hole. A claw reached out from it and pulled and scratched along the terrain. There was another heaving roar, and the entirety of the Beast pulled through the black hole and stood before them all.

He was twice as big as the dragon laguz. The body was completely dark, save for red hair that flowed from the head, and a massive purple scar that glowed on the belly.

"Ganon…" Ike thought. The Beast, as the laguz referred to him as, was a terrible sight to behold. Large tusks hung from the corners of his mouth, and a flat, almost pig-nose was situated right above it.

He looked down at them all with eyes that didn't seem to focus on one particular thing, but could oversee them all in one simple glance.

There was a moment of silence before it spoke.

"How to kill…" he began. His voice was a mix of a human-like guttural tone and the ethereal and almost demonic sound of an entity that was speaking from the clouds above.

"Tell me…how best to kill…the Prion…" his words were slowly spoken and to the point.

Nobody immediately responded. It was probably everyone's first time of ever seeing Ganon in this form, and Ike assumed that these laguz were not prepared for such a sight. To view a beast that was larger than any person of the dragon tribe must have been daunting.

Finally, one laguz, a beast one at that, spoke: "I would simply throw the alien off the cliff and be done with such a nuisance."

"No…" Ganon began. "You would do well to not let the environment do your bidding…it is the cowards way out."

Almost as quickly as Ganon had finished speaking, a raven spoke out from the group.

"I would tether him in my sharp talons and drag the being across the earth until the flesh wore down to the bone," it said.

"No…" Ganon remarked again. "You learn not from what I had said before. To let the earth kill the creature, would be too easy…too cowardly."

Ike was beginning to understand what Ganon meant. Earlier he assumed that any sort of kill would suffice, and had expected for some other laguz to get it over with, but hearing Ganon reject all these proposals made him wonder.

And then, just as Ike was figuring out what Ganon truly wanted, another laguz of the beast kind spoke out.

"My canines would sink into the pale and sinewy neck of the creature, until all the blood drained off, and the life flowed out of it."

Ganon paused for a moment, before outright denying the beast. And then, as the winds shifted and a minute passed, he turned his head to the beast.

"No…" Ganon said. "Not good enough…these words…"

Ike was now confident of what Ganon wanted, what he was asking for. But he wasn't sure if he could do it. Could he kill another being? Technically, Ike could call it self defense as that same Prion had threatened his life earlier at that bar in Arachnida, but he simply didn't want to go through with the act. Had he been in his human form, with sword in hand, he would easily cut down the Prion, but to use his mouth as a weapon was certainly… unpleasant.

But this was a part of Ike's mission. He needed to get closer to Ganon, and this is what was asked of him. He knew that if he hesitated, he would miss his chance to infiltrate further, and the safety of Zelda would be further compromised. Or yet, the safety of the entire galaxy. And yet, he hoped it wasn't the latter.

There was a feeling of hesitation. An irking notion in the back of his head telling him to go through with the act, but his muscles and bones wouldn't shift in the direction of the victim, to complete Ganon's wishes.

"One last time…for the greater good. …I…have…no choice," his words spoke in his brain.

And without anymore waiting, Ike took off from the crowd. His white canine form went bounding away to the person on the edge of the cliff. He was quick enough so the Prion would not be tempted to jump off and end it himself. Closer and closer he went, with all eyes on him. No other laguz were going to get in his way.

And with one final leap, Ike struck the creature down, its neck lodged between the upper mouth and the pounds upon pounds of pressure forcing its way through the lower jaw, to pierce the white flesh and tear apart the life-supporting veins and arteries.

This Prion's life would be over in a matter of minutes. And Ike made sure of it. The blood in his mouth was giving off the terrible and strong taste of iron. He was becoming so fraught to experience it again, that his mouth, instead of merely gripping down, began to release and bite again. Thrashing and tearing at the neck, Ike made a real effort to finish the bounty hunter alien as quickly as he could.

And yet, the part of him that never wanted to be doing this was gone and lost in the moment. The adrenaline and wolf instinct swept over him and Ike lost control.

For a split second, as the cries of the Prion stopped, Ike considered something that hadn't crossed his often rash and impulsive head.

Would Ganon find this an acceptable act? Or had he instead just signed away his own death? Ike fretted over this notion, as there was certainly no going back considering he just killed the creature.

Looking up from the corpse with a blood stained mouth, Ike locked eyes with Ganon.

"Aheheheh…hehehe…hehe…" The Beast chuckled with an intense and throaty grumble.

There was no other sound after that. All the other laguz were silent.

"Yes…wise decision…white wolf. I wanted actions…and initiative…not words…"

Turning to the dragon laguz, Ganon gave him a nod, and then looked up into the sky. The same dark cloud that had hung over them began to increase in size. Other, darker clouds were even gathering, bringing a brief, but heavy rain down upon them.

Ike considered how this rain would make for a dangerous and treacherous walk back down the mountain.

As the dragon laguz turned away from Ganon, of who was still looking up into the sky, a great and bright lightning bolt flashed across the contrasting and dark clouds. A thunderous crack pounded against the heavens and boomed upon everyone's ears.

Many laguz shuddered in response.

After the sound came and went, the dragon spoke to Ike.

"You will come with us. Follow me…"

Ike did as he was told, afraid and uncertain of what was going to happen to him now. As they proceeded towards Ganon, another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. But now, it came down upon the earth and struck the ground, lighting up a small patch of grass that was on the one path down the mountain.

A fire illuminated and emerged from the small portion of grass, growing quickly and blocking off the one road down.

It seemed unlikely that anyone was going to get down now that a fire was blocking their way. And Ike was concerned. He wondered if this was a trap, or a consequence for what he had done.

That previous black hole that Ganon had emerged from was now upon the ground again. The Beast, who was standing above it, gave one last bellowing growl before turning to the side and ultimately diving down, through the hole that had just materialized.

The dragon walked up to it, and began to move down into it as well.

Ike was hesitant to follow. Looking around before stepping into the hole, he watched as the laguz were panicking and frantically moving about, trying to put out the fire or look for another way down. Some were going over the edge, hoping to slide down, but eventually losing their grip and dropping to their deaths.

"Don't worry about the others," the dragon, half emerged in the black hole and half looking back at him said. "They will all perish now. And it is time we leave before our fates are matched with theirs."

Ike walked forward with a heavy heart. He couldn't believe what was happening! Why would Ganon be throwing away so many lives, so many recruits…?! Was he really this…evil?!

Taking one last look as the fires cast an orange and red glow upon his white fur, he stepped downwards into the black hole, into complete darkness.

The last thing he heard was another earth-shattering sound of thunder whipping across the sky, endangering the ill-fated laguz.

- - -

It had been two days since the incident on the mountain, and Ike was sitting beside the dragon laguz, now in his human form. There were lower ranked members of the laguz rebellion carrying cargo and loading it into the back of a spacecraft.

Overseeing it all and standing with arms crossed was the man himself, Ganondorf. His yellows eyes watched as every piece of "luggage" was hauled away. Yes, he had transformed back into his human form, a staggering seven foot tall hulking brute.

Ike had never seen a man with such height. It wasn't too surprising, considering his beast form was much larger than any dragon.

Looking around impatiently, Ganondorf finally stopped and walked towards the dragon.

"It's time for us to leave. Rhaeger," Ganondorf began with that characteristic deep voice. "You will oversee everything while I am gone. If I come back and find the situation not to my liking…well…you're entirely aware of the consequences. I don't have to tell you."

Now turning to Ike, he spoke.

"It would be wise of you to change back into human form, wolf. When we arrive at the Phendrana Drifts, you will freeze to death as there are no insulated suits made for animals."

Ike didn't know what to do. It wasn't like he was in control of his transformations. It was a curse after all.

But Ganondorf didn't walk away after he talked with Ike. Instead, he stood there, looking down upon him, as if waiting for the transformation.

Ike's heart was beginning to race. His dark eyes looked up to Ganondorf, who was still watching him. The son of Greil was beginning to worry that this may blow his cover. He had never considered a circumstance like this, and was now panicking.

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "You're lucky that wasn't a command. Though, if you aren't changed by the time we reach the Drifts, you'll find the ice and snow terrain a comfortable and slumbering stay."

The man walked away and boarded the spacecraft.

The dragon man turned to Ike. "He likes strong personalities, but not those who clash with his. You'd better follow through with what he suggested. Or you'll find an icy grave awaiting you on the journey. Now go wolf, before the door closes."

Getting up and dashing towards the spacecraft, Ike walked in just in time as the door shut. Everything was going as planned, except for Ike's curse that couldn't be controlled. And he started to pray in his mind that he would transform back.

It was just yesterday when Ganondorf had made plans to go to the Phendrana Drifts. Ike didn't know what the place was, or if this was critical to finding out information that Zelda would need to incriminate Ganondorf or protect herself, but Ike had high hopes for this journey.

After all, he was given the opportunity to come along, being promoted just two days ago.

_But what truly awaited Ike would reveal a tremendous and derailing find. One that will ultimately turn the tides of luck with the Hylians._

It had taken them about three hours before the spacecraft reached the Chozon Prime and landed on the Phendrana Drifts. In this time, Ike had fallen asleep. The man had received very little rest ever since the day he killed that beast laguz in the initiation duel.

He woke up with a start, and staring straight at a large and dark boot that was inches away from his head.

"Huh? What is it?" he said aloud, startled and dazed.

"Good…" the deep voice said. Ike couldn't make out the face, as light that was coming in from behind them and through the door was casting a contrasting shadow over the person. However, the voice was a dead give away.

"Ganondorf…" Ike muttered, than caught himself, realizing he could hear his own voice.

"What was that?" Ganondorf's eyes narrowed down as he turned towards the door.

Ike simply looked up at him, with wide eyes. He couldn't believe luck was on his side! And he also almost forgot what it was like to have arms and hands. Seeing them in his peripherals excited him. Still, he was worried that Ganondorf had heard him say his name in a distasteful tone, so he couldn't remove his watch on the man.

Ike was worried there was going to be some imminent and physical consequence.

"Suit up. We're getting off," was all the Gerudo said. Then he walked out of the room, cape flowing heavily behind him.

Standing back up, the bipedal posture felt awkward at first. After about four steps, Ike found his usual stance and proceeded out of the room. Turning to the left and looking down the hall, he saw Ganondorf, with two other people, putting on silver and black space suits. There was one hanging on the hall behind them.

He walked down to the group and clothed himself in the same garment. The others, including Ganondorf, who were one step ahead of him, walked over to the door and stood there.

After Ike had completely covered himself with the protective suit, he followed to where the other three stood. Once he caught up, the door opened and a great and powerful breeze blew snow onto them.

Ike could barely see forms or any distinct shapes it was so white outside. He followed closely behind as the others moved outside. The blue haired mercenary had no idea what they had come out here for. But they seemed intent on something, as they moved quickly through the snowy terrain, as if they knew where exactly to go.

It had taken them about twenty minutes before Ike could finally see the outline of a grey building up ahead. As they neared it, a red laser pointed at them, then removed its sight from them. He was worried at first that it was something bad, but when Ike saw the door open beyond, he realized it must have been some security or detection system. And as they moved inside, his assumptions were confirmed.

What greeted them at the door was an insectoid-like alien. It carried a gun that seemed embedded into its right hand. The creature had a breathing apparatus, and looked very familiar to Ike. He had heard of these before…somewhere in the Galactic media at one point in time…something…but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"This way sir…" the creature spoke to Ganondorf. They immediately began to follow it.

"There was a breach in the security system about one day ago, but we completely eliminated the problem-"

"How?" Ganondorf cut him off. It appeared that the man took a special interest in the processes of elimination/death.

"We chased the target out into the snow. It is likely they are now ice sculptures on the north side of this structure."

Ganondorf only seemed to grumble in irritation at those words. His left hand reached for his right and latched onto his wrist. Ike looked down and saw in a brief moment, as a triangular yellow shape flashedon the Gerudo's right hand.

What it was, he could not say.

"But I have good news to bring. The final phase, mode nine, has been completed on the Phazon. The experiments on all test subjects have been finished and give us great results. No longer do the specimens simply curl up and wither away," the insect alien spoke, as they rounded a corner and came to a door.

"The experiments have been moved away to the frozen storage facility, where will we keep them for the time being. As you requested, we have not completed the absolute final test on the Hylian…the prisoner himself. He awaits you in this room ahead. And with that, may I have your leave?" the alien asked.

Ganondorf nodded and reached his hand out. The insectoid dropped a card key into it and walked away.

Ike's stomach dropped at the mention of a "Hylian prisoner."

"Zelda…" he thought to himself. That could be the only explanation. It was her in there and Ike was too late to help. There was no way he could defend her now. His sword hand clenched in anger and frustration, even though he knew he'd have to wait and see for sure.

As the door opened, there was a single white light emanating in the middle of the room, in a tubular shape. It was so bright, Ike couldn't see into it. Was this the prisoner cell?

As an assistant hit a switch, the light field went down, and there, standing in the tube like chamber, was none other than Link, the hero of Hyrule.

The Hylian's eyes grew wide at the sight of Ganondorf, and especially at the sight of Ike next to the man. He gave a heavy frown and looked intently at Ike. The mercenary swordsmen could do nothing but look on at Link, thankful that it wasn't Zelda, but surprised to see her friend here.

And this was a rather awkward way for the two to meet after several years of no correspondence or communication. After all, it was Ike who had severely injured Link during the confrontation between the two (about Zelda) back on planet Hylia, that had given Link such a horrible wound, he laid in a bed for several weeks, and worked many months to regain strength in his sword wielding arm.

As Ganondorf walked away from Ike, Link did not remove his angered stare toward Ike, even though the "King of Evil" was approaching him.

Ike tried to make some slight gesture toward Link to shake off the obvious stare, so that Ganondorf wouldn't think there was something between the two.

Ganondorf was now at some control panel that was situated before the tube chamber. He pressed a button, and the energy field that had separated Link from the rest of the room went down. It was only then that Link turned to the Gerudo.

"I hope you didn't find your stay here to be too long. Not too worry though; we are going to be moving you very soon. Ahehehehe…" Ganondorf cackled a deep and heavy laugh.

"You two," Ganondorf began, motioning to the other laguz that had accompanied them on the spacecraft. "Prepare the portable capsule for our prisoner. You, white wolf," he was now directing himself to Ike. "You stay here and guard this Hylian, while our retrieve the samples."

But before Ganondorf walked out of the room, he turned around and approached Link from behind. With his right hand, he grabbed the left wrist of the Hylian. Reaching it up, the two hands glowed that same bright triangular symbol. Only, it was on Link's left hand and the other was on Ganondorf's right. A soft and bright light momentarily flooded the room, and Link fell to the floor gasping.

Ike had no idea of what had happened, but it appeared that it pained Link.

And with that, Ganondorf dropped the Hylian's hand, smoothed his cape, and left the room. Ike turned around to see as he left, and also took note that the two other laguz were gone. Walking up to the door, he looked to see if there was some kind of locking mechanism, so that the others couldn't return.

"Right there…to the left…the orange button…" Link barely got out, breathing heavily.

Ike found it, and hit the switch. A beeping sound was heard along with sound of air being suctioned out, and the door was apparently locked. Turning around, Ike faced Link, who was trying to get up.

"Link, I need to get you out of here. And quickly…" the mercenary spoke.

"Oh? That wasn't the plan? Or should I assume you were here to just follow orders from Ganondorf?" Link harshly questioned.

"No…it's not like that, I-"

Link cut him off. "If you think this is some kind of way to remove me out of the picture because you've still got it in your head that Zelda and I are together, well then, you are doing a great job buddy!" The sarcasm was heavily dripping from that remark.

"That was several years ago, Link. I've put that behind me…all of that. Why haven't you?" Ike's anger was now building within him. And although Link could sometimes be an angry and spiteful person, it could never come as close as Ike's.

"It's kind of hard to put something behind you when you wake up every morning with a dull ache in your left shoulder because a flaming sword tore right threw it," he finished.

Ike just crossed his arms. The anger was coming close to boiling over. He didn't risk his life on Arachnida, become cursed, kill humans and laguz, taste their flesh and blood, and then nearly be killed by Ganondorf for unwillingly not obeying an order, to just be chewed out by Link.

Like trying to put a lid on a boiling and overflowing pot, Ike tried to think of the right thing to say, that would get Link to stop this argument and help him find an escape plan. And then, after hundreds of words and sentences flooded his thoughts, the right one stuck out.

"Planet Hylia is overrun with the Flood," Ike bluntly said.

It was like a ten ton brick hit Link in the face. His former angry expression immediately dropped into the look of a small child that had just discovered his world had fallen and shattered into a million pieces. It reminded Ike of the countenance on his face, when the news of the death of his mother was brought to him by a letter. And it wore on his face for many days, and he couldn't remove it, no matter how hard he stared at himself in a mirror.

"No…" Link whispered. "No…that's…that's impossible…" his eyes were searching frantically all over the room.

"So you didn't know…" Ike's solemn voice spoke quietly.

"…I…I cannot believe it…." The Hylian's head dropped down. He sunk to his knees and dropped a hand against the floor.

"I don't have the necessary proof to give you, but I assure you that once we leave this place…I will," Ike said, walking up to Link.

"No…there's no need to worry about that. I don't doubt you," Link said, standing back up. "This is the Space Pirate Confederation's headquarters, so…I heard brief mention of it by the guards, but I only took it as intimidation."

"Link, there's still a chance to save Hylia. Zelda remains as the ruler, hiding in disguise. If we leave this place and return…say…to the League!" Ike put a hand to his chin, as if just formulating the plan now.

"If we go to the League, we will have all the evidence we need to prosecute Wolf and Ganondorf, and bring the necessary aid to your planet that has been so heavily denied because of the circumstances," Ike explained.

"What evidence? The last time I brought tangible proof, I found myself locked up in the League's prison chambers and then kidnapped and brought here!" Link remarked.

"You needn't worry about that happening again. Zelda has managed to foster new allies that I had briefly encountered. They will be all the protection and support we need," Ike said.

"And…?" Link inquired. "What about this…'evidence'?"

"You don't see it? It's not that obvious?" Ike asked.

Link only responded with a confused glance.

"It's you, Link. You are the proof we need. If, like the rumors state, you had truly escaped the League's prison chambers, which is really improbable, then why would you return? You were kidnapped and stolen away from the League! That is enough information and evidence to bring Wolf and Ganondorf down!"

Link's face lit up. "Well…shit! What are we waiting for? Let's get the hell out of here!"

He walked off of the platform to the tube chamber, and stood by Ike.

"Thanks…Ike. For coming here. I don't know how you did, or if I fully trust you yet. But if you help Zelda and I as you have just stated, then that's reason enough to forgive you," Link said.

"I don't need you to forgive me, Link. Like I said, I got over our problems a long time ago. Whatever feelings you are harboring, they have nothing to do with me," Ike responded.

Link put one hand on his hip and smirked. "Still blunt as ever," he softly said.

Ike walked away from him and looked around the room. He stopped, then turned to Link.

"Just don't tell Zelda I did this. I just don't want her to know…"

Link just shrugged, as if signaling a "whatever" to Ike. "Let's just get out of here. I think we have stood and talked for long enough."

"Right," Ike said, resuming a search of the room. He was looking for some way of escape through this room, hoping it would be that convenient and easy. Bumping into Link, he looked down as the Hylian was searching through some compartment.

"A way out?" Ike asked.

"No," Link began. "I'm getting my shield and sword. They put it here before I was locked away."

"Good idea," Ike stated. Watching Link pull out his sword, he saw something peculiar on his right hand.

"What's that?" Ike said, pointing to a marking on Link's arm. The skin was raised and lighter than the rest of his flesh. The raisings were in long lines, crossing over each other on his arm.

"Oh…that," Link grimaced at the sight of it. "Ganondorf's idea. I really don't know what he did to me, as I was unconscious at the time. They were doing experiments, you know."

Link covered it up with his sleeve and adjusted his sword and shield on his back. He walked away from Ike and stood in front of the one door to the room.

"Come on, I know the way to go," Link said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Alright, there is a little secret homage to one of my favorite books of all time, and if you can find it and explain it to me, I'll include anything in this story that you would like to see. (Given that it doesn't infringe on the plot itself, but I can work it out.)

So take a closer look, as it is in this chapter.

I must apologize for taking so damn long on this. For those of you who are still with this story, all I have to say is, I love you. Yep, I do. XD

And the next chapter is going to be so much fun for me to write! It's basically the one that I have been visualizing for so long, that was the real reason I conjured up this story. And it includes everyone's perspective! YAY! So I hope to punch that out much quicker than the last few chapters. Those were kinda rough on me, as I had a lot of details that were necessary to work out, so I had to be careful I did everything right.


	20. Chapter 20: Multi POV

**Part One**

**Chapter Twenty: Multiple POV**

**- - - -**

**Quick A/N: **Because this is a multiple perspective chapter, each person/perspective will be separated by four dashes. Starting…NOW!

- - -

Covered in his former reddish brown robe that he had previously worn at the League many, many days ago before he departed with Samus and Zelda, Snake once again entered the private quarters to the Chozo.

It had been a short journey back here, after leaving Big Blue, but he was back.

Upon gaining admittance, he quickly pulled down the hood covering his head, once he saw the Chozo leader at the head of the main desk. To his right was Rauru, the Hylian princess's advisor, and standing right beside him was Zelda, covered in a dark robe that she had worn as Sheik during the funeral procession of Nabooru and Magnus.

She pivoted towards him and spoke.

"Snake!"

Pulling down the dark robe that hid her face, a big smile spread across her face as they made eye contact. Snake reciprocated with a small smile of his own. It had been a while since he last saw something as genuine as her happy expression.

He was thankful that she was alive and well, considering how close to danger she had been. Snake was eager to begin questioning her and Rauru about the Triforce, especially after the knowledge he had gained from Sniper Wolf, but there was somebody sitting off to the side of the room that stopped him from speaking.

The person looked unfamiliar. It appeared to be a man, in a similar robe that the Hylian's wore, but he had a blue skin tight suit on beneath the other garment.

Snake turned and looked to the man.

"Who is this?" he asked, wanting to know before he said anything further.

Zelda turned to the man Snake was curious about.

"This man was kind enough to rescue me and bring me back to the league," was all the princess said.

"_Rescue_ you? What do you mean? And why is Samus not with you?" Snake questioned. He wondered why Zelda needed to have been rescued. Could it have been possible that Mantis had detected her and Liquid and Ocelot's cronies had tried to capture her…?

"We still haven't been able to contact Samus. We even tried contacting Fox McCloud aboard the Great Fox but all we received was an emergency transmission error. And that is all that we know of her," Rauru explained.

The man in question shifted in his seat and leaned back slightly.

"So, my question remains…Who is this?" Snake reiterated.

"This is…Mr. Falcon," Zelda said, as if such information to Snake was unimportant at the moment. Her head then cocked to the side and a concerned look overcame her face.

"What happened to you…?" she asked Snake, with her eyes focusing on his left leg.

He followed her vision to the bandage on his leg where Sniper Wolf had shot him.

"It's…nothing. Listen, I have important information I need to tell you Zelda. And important information that I need to hear from you," he told her.

"Whatever you have to tell me, Snake, I'd wait on it," she instructed him.

"Why?"

"I'd like to wait for the others to arrive," the Hylian said.

"The others…?"

"Yes," Rauru began. "You will be introduced to all of them soon enough. If you haven't heard already, Representative Wolf has prepared for a major speech within the hour. While you, Zelda, and the others were away, Wolf has been maneuvering himself into power. During this time of political unrest, with both the crisis of the Flood and the ongoing conflict with Altea and Tellius, many delegates are looking for strong leadership to quickly replace Magnus."

Snake couldn't believe what he was hearing. So much had occurred while he was away. And especially while he was learning more devastating news that would affect the fate of the entire galaxy: the news concerning the possibility of a new Metal Gear.

"And many delegates have turned to Wolf because he has been leading the attack against us, of who have been labeled as criminals and assailants in the revival of the Flood," Rauru continued. "It is not surprising though, to see how quickly his favor has been gained…"

"So…what does this have to do with the 'others'?" Snake asked.

"They are the delegates who have worked alongside with the Chozo leader and me, into formulating our plan of resistance to his formal announcement," the old man replied.

"What…announcement?" Snake inquired, having a bad feeling he knew what it was.

"Wolf's inauguration as 47th Leader of the League," Rauru said. "And we will be-"

But before Rauru could finish explaining, there was a rapping at the door.

Everyone froze and exchanged glances to one another in silence.

"Is this…the others?" Snake asked quietly.

Rauru looked at him with an inquisitive countenance. "No, it couldn't be…it is not exactly time yet."

Upon hearing that, Snake immediately knew what to do. Drawing his 9mm from the holster on his right leg, he moved to the side of the door, gun ready at his side. He looked back at the Chozo leader, Rauru, and then Zelda.

Zelda nodded at Snake, and then turned to the Chozo leader and asked for the door to be opened. The bird-like creature reached its hand out and pressed a button on the desk. Once he did, the door opened.

In walked one man, and Snake whipped himself around to grab him. Locked in a chokehold, the person cried out.

"Not again!" came the familiar voice of an exasperated mercenary.

"Ike!" Zelda happily and unexpectedly proclaimed.

At the sound of that, Snake released his grasp on Ike. The blue haired mercenary turned and shot him an angry glare, of which Snake just ignored. He then backed away and leaned against the wall, with arms crossed.

But someone else was walking in, from what he could see from the peripherals of his vision. Snake's head quickly turned to see who it was.

The person did not look familiar, but he had the same pointy ears Zelda featured.

"…no…it can't be..." the Princess said aloud, her voice suddenly dropping into a solemn and grave tone.

"…Link…?"

- - -

From the corner of his eye, Link saw the man with the gun releasing Ike from his grip. He hadn't a clue who it was, but was sure there would be a valid reason for this strangers presence. Perhaps it was a friend of Samus, or some hired bodyguard for Zelda. It had been a while since Link had spoken to either woman, and considering the circumstances, either option was plausible.

Looking at Zelda, Link also noted Rauru to her side. He was an old man skilled in the arts of magic, and the last time Link came to the aid of Hylia, Rauru brought much help and wisdom to him. They were old friends, though they didn't speak much. He gave Rauru a nod before turning to Zelda.

Although they were in the Chozo private quarters, Link noted that Samus was nowhere to be found. Not that she was a politician, but he had figured and hoped to see her here.

Taking slow steps toward her, Link saw an odd and ghastly expression upon Zelda's face. It was as if she was seeing a ghost.

"It's me, Zelda," he began, with a small smile. As he stood about two feet in front of her, he held out his left arm. The Triforce symbol flashed momentarily upon it. Link had hoped this would ease Zelda's anxiety and realize it truly was him.

The princess took a step towards him. She was closely looking him over, still seemingly in shock over his unexpected arrival. The room was completely silent. Even Rauru held a concerned and shocked expression.

And then, as sudden as the wind shifts, Zelda smiled back at Link and brought herself close to him. As she gave him a hug, Link released a huge sigh, feeling more relieved and happy than he had in a while.

The two of them released their arms around each other and pressed their foreheads together. Link closed his eyes and the two stood like that for a while, all others watching in quietude.

And when Zelda moved her head away, Link opened his eyes and saw tears soaking up her blue eyes. The smile on her face had grown bigger and she let out a small giggle. Raising her right hand, she ruffled his hair and chuckled louder.

"You're going to make me cry…it's embarrassing…" Zelda softly spoke to him, turning her head away from Ike and the other man's faces. Link knew that Zelda generally a stoic person and wasn't keen on expressing her feelings openly, so all he could do in response to what she said was smile back at her.

She hadn't changed one bit.

After the two friends had exchanged a warm greeting, Link looked around the room, noticing the man with the gun who previously had grabbed Ike, and another unfamiliar person. A man in a blue skin tight suit sitting off to the corner.

"Link, this is Mr. Falcon and Snake," Zelda said, gesturing to each upon saying their names. "They both have provided a great deal of help to us."

Then she turned back to him.

"I…I'm afraid to ask you what you've been through, or where you've come from. But…it was Ganondorf, wasn't it? I saw it in my dreams…" she told him.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. And I don't want to worry you with what has happened to me, but I must say that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ike," he explained to her.

Her face lit up at that name. Her head turned to Ike's direction.

"There's no need to thank me. I set out on finding more information on Ganon's activities on planet Tellius and this was a positive outcome of such events. Not my intention, but nevertheless, I am pleased that something this good came out of it.," Ike said.

"I must tell you though, the reason Ganon has been on Tellius was what I had feared. He has been directly behind the affairs of the war with Altea. But now that we have Link, I can only hope that his prosecution and subsequent imprisonment will put an end to that all…" the mercenary finished.

"As do all of us. It seems as though the elimination of Ganondorf may benefit us all," Zelda said to Ike. "The wars in that region have been raging for much longer than even the crisis on Hylia."

Ike only nodded to her.

"Then, when shall we tell Magnus of our plans to hold a general assembly? I think it would be good to get this done as soon as possible-" Link started, but was immediately cut off by Rauru.

"Magnus is dead, Link. While you were held hostage, an assassin had taken him out. Along with our good friend Nabooru," Rauru held his head down.

Link couldn't believe it. Not only was there an invasion of the Flood on Hylia, but he had lost his Gerudo friend, Nabooru. And to top everything off, Magnus was gone. That was going to put a huge damper on their plans. As a representative himself, Link knew that very little could be done in the League if there was no leader to oversee it all. Perhaps though, somebody had replaced Magnus already?

"Well…then…who is the 47th Leader?" Link asked both the Chozo leader and Rauru.

"There is none, at the moment anyway," the Chozo replied.

"Then how are we to do anything? I know better than everyone in this room, save the Chozo leader, that we cannot make a proclamation if there is no superior in charge," Link hastily said, his face warping into a tired and wary look.

Bringing a hand to his forehead, he turned away from them all and tried to think of how they could go about doing this…how they would earn a place on the podium to reclaim their innocence and put Ganondorf into an eternal and solitary prison cell.

"Though you speak the truth Link, we are not completely out of luck," Rauru spoke. "We have a chance, though the news I am about to tell you may seem earth-shattering."

"What is it?" Link asked.

And then, just as the others had experienced before, there was a knocking at the door.

"Is _that_ the other delegates?" Snake said, with a deep and scruffy voice.

Link wondered what Snake had meant by that.

"Perhaps…" the Chozo leader chimed in. "Maybe they will all be coming sooner then expected…?"

- - -

Standing outside of the door, she drew a deep breath and waited for admittance. Beside her stood the blue bird of prey, Falco. And to her other side was the leader of the team for hire, Fox McCloud.

After receiving a message to their distress signal from the emergency beacon on their escape pod, Falco and Samus had waited for the Great Fox to retrieve them from the Phendrana Drifts. The massive ship had survived an attack from the Flood, and was in the process of recovering the entire Star Fox team, to return to the League and await the news of Representative Wolf and his speech.

Samus had no idea of who awaited within.

As the white door opened, her blue eyes met the wide eyed glances of many people. Most of who she had not seen in a very long time.

First, there was Snake. He was initially shocked to see her, but then looked relieved. His grey blue eyes rested into a contented look. Next to him was the blue haired mercenary that she had briefly met before she split from the League many days ago. He wasn't surprised by her arrival, and only nodded in response to her presence.

Beyond those two, hidden in the corner of the room was some man sitting with a blue skin tight suit on, and a dark robe covering the rest of his self. Something about that suit was familiar to Samus, but she couldn't discern completely who it was.

And then, with her eyes following right to left, Samus noticed Rauru standing beside the Chozo leader. Next to them was Princess Zelda, in her dark mourning robe that she had worn many days ago. She was situated next to Link.

And that was when Samus froze in her tracks, looking on in disbelief. What met her gaze was a reciprocated facial expression. Link looked just as shocked to see Samus.

"Samus!"

"Link!"

They both said in unison, both surprised to be standing in front of one another.

In her peripherals, Samus could see Zelda smiling back at her, and Falco and Fox both moving into the room, casually and silently greeting each person.

Both Samus and Link looked like they were going to say something, but was holding back. Either from the shock or not wanting to trip on each other's words as they did earlier.

Samus decided to make the first move. Walking over to the Hylian, she stopped in front of him, and then smiling, brought out one arm and patted him on the side of his opposing arm.

"You're…alive!" Was the only thing that came to her mind.

Link chuckled in response to that. "Yeah, made it back in one piece!" he joked.

Samus only shook her head to the inappropriateness of his comment. She had worried for so long about his well-being, after all. It was what kept her in this conflict for the most part, even though it originally all began with the space pirate investigations.

Samus had felt guilty for knowing he was innocent, but being unable to spare him from imprisonment. She knew she was one of the few people in the galaxy that knew Link was wrongfully charged…and then to only hear rumors of his escape, which was really a cover up to a kidnapping. The amount of guilt and responsibility Samus had felt for Link's misfortune had weighed heavy on her. But now that he was here and in good shape, Samus could finally breathe more easily.

Bringing her head back up to look at him, she saw him staring back at her with an expression of both confusion and concern. It was as though he had read her mind and realized just how troubled she had been because of him.

She watched him as he stepped forward to her, and then reached both arms out. Samus had no idea what he was doing, but it all happened in slow motion, and she couldn't stop it. Frozen in place, Link gave her a hug.

Her cheeks burned intensely upon her face, and she began to worry that she was blushing. Very few people, if anyone, had ever seen this bounty hunter flustered, and she certainly didn't want to break that.

Awkwardly, Samus drew her arms up and reciprocated. This…intimacy felt strange to her. She rarely allowed herself this close to someone, because whenever a person tried to reach out to her, it reminded the blonde woman of that vision. That vision of a bloody hand trying to touch her….the day she was orphaned.

Most of the room was silent as this happened, except for Zelda, Rauru, and the Chozo leader talking in hushed tones.

As Link pulled away, there was a warm smile upon his face. It was an expression of sympathy, compassion, and slight mischief, she could tell. Perhaps it was because he was unusually happy, considering the Hylian had been a prisoner on the Phendrana Drifts this entire time. Or the fact that his pointed ears, large eyes and wide smile seemed to just suggest mischief, even if he was not characteristically so.

"Alright…it's time we called them in," the louder and stern voice of Rauru broke the lull.

Everyone's heads turned towards the man.

- - -

They were all awaiting the arrival of the other delegates that were supposedly on their way over to this room. The room was mainly silent except for some hushed words exchanged between Samus and Link, and the Chozo leader and the old man.

Ike was thankful that Link hadn't explained to anyone how the two had escaped the Phendrana Drifts. Or else, such an explanation would lead to a story of how Ike had arrived on the sub-zero planet to save Link. And it was that, that the mercenary did not want openly discussed.

He was mainly afraid of any loss of trust from the others, especially Zelda, if he told them all how he killed laguz and Altean prisoners just to get close to Ganon for the sake of information that could have been acquired many other ways. But it wasn't like Ike could lose anymore trust from the Hylian princess…

Thinking over it all, Ike recalled how he had found Link in the prison cell, and how the two had a quick argument before coming to terms with the need to simply escape. Retrieving his weapons and Hylian representative attire, Link and Ike left the room and entered the hallway.

They wandered throughout the area, cutting down any pirate who crossed their path. Eventually, the two of them had found the door that led to the outside. But without the proper protective gear, they could not traverse the freezing terrain and hope to make it out alive. Instead, they turned around and searched for a map of the place.

Within computers main files, Link searched for a map. Ike waited on guard, and it wasn't too long before Link had discovered that this place had an older map. In fact, these laboratories were much older than this entire conflict that both swordsmen had found themselves in.

Several years ago, under the leadership of another space pirate known as Kraid, these laboratories were doing the same sort of experimentation on the Phazon. However, one person had singularly taken down the entire place. There was no name written in the records, save for a short description known as "Orange Hunter."

Described on the old map was a passageway that was underground, within the permafrost of the planet that transported those arriving to this place discreetly. It would be the best bet for Link and Ike, considering they had no protection against the cold.

The two had found the underground passageway, but it had taken heavy damage. Regardless, they were able to track through it and find their way to the landing platform that Ike had arrived on. The spacecraft that Ike had arrived on was still there, and the opportunity to take it over and leave the planet awaited them.

And so they took over, never once looking back and anticipating seeing good company again.

As Ike was daydreaming, he heard the door open, and Rauru beginning to announce that the "others" had arrived.

The first person to enter through the door was a very tall man, almost identically in height as Ganondorf. Ike wasn't sure if it was a robot or a person in armor, but he was in green full body plates, with an amber toned visor on the helmet.

"Master Chief, as most of you must know," Rauru announced. "He and Representative Cortana of Planet Earth in the Solar System. They have since investigated Planet Hylia, and notes that the place is still overrun with the Flood. They have also obtained holographic proof of Wolf's illegal blockade that is still in effect. With Space Pirate Confederation ships and other bounty hunters and space pirates being let through to loot and take what they can. It is indispensable proof if we are to make our case against Wolf."

The man known as Master Chief turned to the side of the room and stood there, silently acknowledging everyone in the room. The other person mentioned, Cortana, could not be seen until the man pressed something on his left arm, and a purple and blue hologram rose up in the form of a woman.

Ike assumed this was Cortana.

Rauru then turned himself back to the door and rose an arm up. Another person was entering the room.

"This is Prince Marth of Planet Altea, in the Fire Realm System. He has come here to take a moment from the crisis on his war torn planet to support us."

After speaking, everyone nodded, bowed, or just stared at the man. He had a long flowing cape behind him and a headband-shaped crown upon his head. His deep blue hair rested against his slender face. Prince Marth had very feminine features, but they were balanced with deep creases and wrinkles scattered on his face. They were not a result of aging or resembled anything close to the marks of old age, but were signs of stress and tiredness. And Ike couldn't blame him. The man was fighting an enemy that struck with no reason or warning.

In walked another person, and this one especially caught everyone's attention. The man was shorter than an average human, and had great, white wings emanating from his back. A crown of golden leaves hung behind his ears and within his brown, curly hair.

Draping from shoulder to shoulder were robes of white.

"This is Representative Pit, of the Angel Land System. He is here under orders from Palutena, who has sympathized with our case," Rauru said.

Pit caught eyes with everyone in the room, and then stood to the side, next to Prince Marth.

"And this is a messenger to the Apostle, or should I say Representative to Planet Tellius. The Apostle could not be here for this, but this soldier has presented a verified and legit document denoting her support to us," Rauru finished.

The soldier nodded and stepped aside. There was nothing that stood out about his features, especially to Ike who has seen traditional Tellius garb and armor many times over.

"And finally, our last supporting Representative, Princess Peach," Rauru said.

In walked a blond woman, with an elaborate and dressy gown with white gloves. She curtsied upon entering and then, with a smile upon her face, turned to the side and nodded at Rauru.

"She is the delegate of the Star System, and ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. A shrewd and cunning woman, capable of manipulating to her gain. She will be an indispensable ally if we plan on our peaceful surrender," Rauru finished.

Listening in, Ike's heart skipped a beat after Rauru finished talking. Had he heard wrong? Did the old man really say "surrender"?

"Surrender?" Princess Zelda blurted, with as much alarm as he felt.

"Yes, let me begin by laying out the plan that I, the Chozo leader, and these delegates had established whilst most of you were away. Do not think of this as just a surrender and a giving in to the injustices incurred upon each and every one of us in this room. No, that is not the actual intent."

Ike looked around to see everyone else's reactions. He was hoping that most of them shared his feelings on this, and would speak out. But neither Samus, Link, Snake, Zelda, Fox, Falco, or the man shrouded in the robes spoke out, though they had confused expressions fixed upon their faces.

"As you all know now," Rauru continued, "Representative Wolf has gathered enough support within the League that he has been allowed, through a vote within the assembly not too long ago, to become the 47th Leader. But, not all of us have agreed to this. And that is why we are here today. Though we are in the minority with our sentiments against Wolf, we have all the evidence we need to incarcerate him and put an end to all the propaganda and lies he has been spreading and using to gain the most esteemed position in the galaxy."

"Furthermore, we have formed an alliance with each other so that we gain credibility and support to lay out evidence that will prove Wolf and Ganondorf's involvement with the Flood and the space pirate activity in the Chozon Prime. This will ultimately allow the entire galaxy to come together to directly end these threats to our well being that currently exist against us."

"These delegates that stand before you, Link, Samus, Zelda, Snake, Ike, Fox, Falco, and Mr. Falcon…these are people who understand that we are innocent and are not the perpetrators to this galactic crisis. And I would like to take a moment to thank all of you. Though our numbers range very low in comparison to the entire League, we have strength in our support and belief in truth and justice."

"And, in order to uphold these values, we must peacefully refuse Wolf's new rank as the 47th Leader of the League of the Cosmos. Before he begins his acceptance speech, we will take a moment to lay out our claim against his office. And although this refusal of his promotion is considered an act of rebellion to the peace and order within this galaxy, we must go through with it. We must cover up this so-called illegal act as a surrender into exile," Rauru said.

Everyone within the room exchanged hesitant glances at each other or simply looked solemnly down at the floor. Ike's stomach churned nervously as his eyes drifted slowly upon the red carpet beneath him, wondering if this was the right thing to do.

"If everything goes as planned, and he accepts our peaceful surrender into exile, it will by us enough time to put together our evidence to bring him down. And hopefully, now that we have Representative Link and Princess Zelda here, along with the holographic proof courtesy of Master Chief and Representative Cortana, we will have enough of a foundation of evidence to build upon, and this will ensure a swift removal of Wolf from office. And any delegate that has sided with Wolf, or who remains neutral against his power, will be persuaded onto our side."

"This," Rauru concluded, "is our plan."

The room was completely silent. Not a single person said a word for what seemed like five minutes. Ike grabbed the belt around his waist and held it firmly with his right hand. Looking down at the ground, he began to think that this was the right thing to do. after all, it would buy him time to get more evidence of Ganondorf's involvement with the Altean-Tellius war.

From the stark silence within the room came a beeping sound. Everyone's heads looked up to the desk where the Chozo leader sat.

Rauru looked up at everyone and spoke.

"His speech will shortly begin. It is time."

- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Everyone is here now! Most characters that will be in this story have finally been introduced. However, there will be a few surprises of supporting characters along the way.

But boy do I hope I didn't miss anyone.

So, let me clarify something. Their resignation into exile doesn't mean they go to prison or are locked away. It simply means that every delegate and representative who concedes will have to give up their office and authority at the League, and merely become citizens of the galaxy with no more power than a commoner. They will have to lay low and stay outside of public affairs. Giving up their former lives, they will have to find some new, desolate planet to live on, where they will be outside of the real world.

There are some planets that are established for such things, that I will explain later. Generally, however, this is an illegal form of rebellion, and has never been outright declared by Representatives to the League. It has only been practiced by rulers of certain planets and provinces. (Like, as I stated in the first or second chapter, how Midna had left Planet Twilight after Ganondorf had taken over as Representative.) So, who knows how well this will go down. : )

And pooey, nobody got the easter egg in the last chapter. Ah well, if it hits you ten chapters down the road, I will still accept it. I realize that it was really hard to find. Unless you are a fantasy book reader, like the dork I am.

Also, I will finally be able to develop the romances! Oi, it has taken a long time, but they will begin to fully play out. They are not going to be too heavy on this story and plotline, but I feel that I need something more lighthearted to balance out the rather serious tone that pervades each chapter. This chapter hinted at one couple already, if you didn't catch it. (Psst: It's not ZeldaxLink. Those two are just very close friends!)

Anyway, next chapter will continue the multiple perspectives. And so this isn't actually the last chapter of Part One. The next one will be for sure.

And woohoo! 100 reviews! I never thought I'd make it to that amount. Those of you who take the time to always punch out a review for each chapter, you are great. Even the simplest thoughts and sentiments make me very happy. 3

So…I haven't done this in a while, so reviewer response time!

**alberto4395: **Ganondorf didn't steal Link's triforce. Something else happened, and you'll find out later. Oh, I say that a lot. XD

**Nintendogeek01: **Hehe, perhaps you will realize what the homage is some other time.

**Flowershop78: **I'm glad I keep you guessing with what will happen. If you still feel that, that means I'm not rusty and stale yet.

**Sir NZ: **Ganondorf has done something more…devious than stealing the triforce. You'll see.

**The Digital Dimension: **You're welcome. Hell, you've been on board for this for a while now!

Oh, umm…let me remark that if you want to get the latest updates on this story or whatnot, check out my deviantart account. (h t t p : / / napola.deviantart. c o m/) The journal has a special section for this story. And yes, this is shameless self advertisement.

And I don't know if I haven't stated this yet, but I want to let everyone know that even if it takes me a whole week to write a chapter, don't think for a second that I won't complete it or will just stop writing for this story. I plan on, or better yet, I AM going to complete this story. I certainly didn't spend all this time to just give up.


	21. Chapter 21: Multi POV

**Part One**

**Chapter Twenty One: Multi POV**

As everyone moved out of the Chozo private quarters and into the main hallway that wound all the way around the League's main room, the man who had been hidden behind a black Hylian robe took it off, revealing himself to be the famous F-Zero racer, Captain Falcon.

Not much was known about the man, for he preferred to be alone and off by himself, even though he owned a mega conglomerate of Captain Falcon products and memorabilia.

Although a solitary creature, the man could be moved to help others out of pure selflessness. Such had been the case when the Hylian Princess had asked him.

And now, as all of the other delegates were proceeding towards the Chozo platform in the assembly hall, he would have to leave. Captain Falcon had no other business here, and although he knew something heavy was going to happen, something that would make history, the man just did not want to be a part of it. He did not want to be so swept up in the affairs of others, but he had this inkling feeling that they needed him.

He told everyone he would be leaving them, and that he wished them all the luck in the galaxy. A few disappointed faces met his, but overall he got the feeling that many of the people understood why he was leaving. It seemed that even some of them looked like they would rather be going with him.

Turning around, Captain Falcon began to walk down the spiral hallway. The walls were completely white, and the white floors covered partially with a red carpet jumped out at him. He certainly must have been an obvious sight, wearing a blue jumpsuit against a predominantly white background.

Walking along, he passed many delegates, of all different shapes and sizes and from all parts of the galaxy. Some of them ignored, simply passing by to get onto their designated stage. But there were a few who shot him a double glance, probably just realizing who he actually was.

About two-thirds of the way down, as a Representative was just boarding their stage, Captain Falcon could hear a loud, booming voice of someone. Could it have been Wolf?

No matter, though. These affairs did not bother him. He couldn't take part in this.

But as he walked away from the sound of the voice, as it trailed off behind him, the bounty hunter couldn't help but feel curious. He wanted to know who was speaking, and secretly wanted to know what would happen.

"No…" he thought to himself. "I have to go…"

Finally getting to the main elevator lobby that would bring him down the narrow column that held this place up, Captain Falcon was confronted by two guards, who were holding large metal staffs by their sides.

"Excuse me," he said, trying to get to the control panel to call up an elevator.

"Sorry, sir," a guard said, moving into his way.

"What is this all about?" Captain Falcon asked, getting straight to the point. He did not want to be meddled with. Not now anyway.

"No admittance. You do not have permission to leave," the other guard told him.

"Oh? And by who's order?" the racer's voice spoke, dripping with irritation.

"The 47th Leader of the League, Representative Wolf of the Lylat System," the guard said, putting the metal staff, now circulating with electricity, between the bounty hunter and himself.

- - - -

As everyone filed out of the Chozo quarters, the man known as "Mr. Falcon" pulled down the hood that had been partially covering his face, and revealed himself as the true Captain Falcon.

It was a huge surprise to both Falco and Fox, both of whom were big fans of F-Zero racing. However, there was no time to formally greet the man, as he said he would be taking off. It was not unlike him though, to do that. Often times, when he finished a race and the press wanted to interview him, he refused any comments and simply left.

But that was part of what made him so damn cool. A true man's man.

With his ears flickering to the sound of Captain Falcon's steps going further and further away, Fox McCloud turned back to the group, only in time to see Snake speaking quietly with Princess Zelda and her advisor, Rauru. There seemed to be a disappointed look upon both of the Hylian's faces as Snake turned away from them and headed in the opposite direction of Capt. Falcon, ascending the hallway.

Fox couldn't tell what Snake was up to, but he couldn't be concerned with that now. After meeting up with Samus and Falco aboard the Great Fox, his heart had been filled with trepidation over the announcement coming from the League about Wolf's speech.

The two had served together as opposing delegates to their home in the galaxy, the Lylat System. And although their relationship was tense, Fox had some level of respect for someone such as Wolf, who could have come from such a bad and misled background, into a role of a leader and politician.

Though that respect was certainly gone now. Ever since him and Falco had found a Wolfen spacecraft in ruins on Tallon IV, and with shattered canisters of Phazon on board, Fox had finally realized that the true nature of Wolf was not gone. The creature had merely been using his role as leader of the Andross Party to get away with ever more illegal actions.

But for what reason? Fox's mind had been distracted with that very question for so long. He knew that in the past, Wolf and his cronies often took part in illegal activities for money, personal gain such as power and esteem, or for the simple benefit of thuggish friends, but Fox could not believe it was something that simple this time.

He knew that Wolf was about to officially become the 47th Leader of the League, but the creature was clearly not qualified for the position. And there was honestly nothing about being the Leader that was glamorous or intriguing to someone like Wolf. So what was it?

That, Fox did not know. But he was determined to find out. If the betrayal to his homeland of the Lylat System ran deeper than smuggling Phazon, Fox would learn of this. Him and Falco had a made a personal agreement with one another to do this. No matter the cost.

As each delegate moved down the hall, to the designated Chozo platform, each of them stood elbow to elbow with just enough room. Next to Fox on the right, was of course, Falco Lombardi. To his left was the tall man known as Spartan 117, or less formerly as Master Chief. He was a man of few words, and left most of the talking to Representative Cortana, but Fox had a feeling this person would soon play a much larger role.

And he also had feeling that this would be the last time he would stand here at the League of the Cosmos.

- - -

After telling Rauru and Princess Zelda that he would be leaving the group to be on the lookout, because he did not want a repeat of the last time they were at the League, Snake began walking up the hallway, ascending the place to pick out a vantage point to watch everyone from.

He had gone up nearly the entire way, weaving in and out of delegates who were passing by and walking towards their platforms. He was looking for someone who would be alone on their stage, so that he would be able to knock them out and take over, using the place as spot to watch. And luck would have it that a single delegate had a platform near the top of the dome.

Slowly walking behind the person, and passing through the door that led to the stage, Snake took three small steps and then grabbed the representative, locking him in a chokehold. The person emitted small gasps for air, but Snake squeezed tighter and tighter around the neck. He didn't necessarily want to kill the person, but if that was the resulting consequence, it mattered not to Snake.

After about fifteen more seconds, the body of the person fell limp, and Snake dragged it into a corner of the stage. Closing the door behind him, he turned back around and crouched near the edge of the platform.

Snake couldn't help but feel that something was going to go wrong. After risking imprisonment because of Wolf's allegations, and then experiencing the assassination of Nabooru and Magnus, Snake expected the worse. But how could it possibly get worse?

At the edge of the platform, Snake pulled out his binoculars and looked around. First, he scouted out where the Chozo platform was, where everyone would be standing. Then he looked for Wolf. The creature was on his designated stage, standing at his podium and looking around. His speech hadn't begun yet as everyone was still getting settled.

Looking back to the Chozo platform, he saw everyone moving onto it. And then, something peculiar had caught his eye, in the corner of the lens of the binocular. It looked like something had moved across the wall of the dome, between two different platforms. But there was nothing there. Looking intensely at the wall, Snake was about to take off the binoculars and pass it off as nothing, but there was another blurring movement across the wall.

Something must have been moving across the area, but there was simply nothing there. Just a blurring distortion of some odd form. As Snake was about to pull off the binoculars to get a look without them, he saw the same strange thing, but on another area of the dome. Underneath a platform, it was the same blurry effect.

And then it hit him.

"Cloaking technology….?" He muttered to himself.

Putting the binoculars back over his eyes, he saw it again. But it was all over the place. Under platforms, on the walls, behind some delegates…

Strange, blurry movements.

- - - -

Moving onto the Chozo platform, everyone stood, elbow to elbow. Link and Zelda were concealing themselves with dark Hylian robes, so as not to make a scene in front of others. After all, one of them was presumed an escaped convict, and the other dead.

After a few short minutes of waiting around, Wolf finally began his speech. The Lylat Representative introduced himself as the 47th Leader of the League, much to Link's dismay. The creature went on at length about how he was going to bring down those who have caused chaos within the galaxy, with their dealing with the Space Pirate Confederation and ultimately the Flood.

Link knew Wolf was referring to him and Zelda, and the anger within him was beginning to grow. He wanted nothing more than to corner the beast, with sword in hand as Wolf would cower in fear, with his tail between his legs. Such an image played through Link's mind, especially when he was imprisoned on the Phendrana Drifts.

And Wolf continued with his words, speaking out subversively against Zelda, Link, and the rest of the Hylians. It continued on to the point where Link could not take it anymore.

Full of rage and anger, he pushed his way to the podium on their platform, moving Rauru and Zelda to the side.

"We must all unite! We must form a union against these perpetrators, of who so selfishly brought doom and destruction upon us!" Wolf continued to say.

At the podium, Link activated the speaker system and began to talk over Wolf.

"How exactly do you plan on directly confronting this "chaos" you speak of? What can you show us other than baseless promises to bring justice upon these 'perpetrators'?" Link said, his voice booming over Wolf's amplified one.

The entire doom went silent as Link spoke. Nobody knew who it was, as the Hylian had a hood drawn over his face.

On the platform, Link held his ground, even as Rauru tried to intercept the situation. Although this wasn't part of their plan, Link didn't care. He was waiting for this moment, to call out Wolf. Ever since that beast had been the cause of his imprisonment…

As the silence continued, with Rauru trying to get Link to fall back, Wolf spoke.

"I demand to know who I am talking to," he said.

Without saying a word, Link pulled down the hood that had been covering his face. As he did, the entire dome erupted in hushed chatter, with many gasps of surprise and shock. Nobody could believe that this one person that was able to "escape" from the League's prison quarters was here, back to confront the very thing that had put him there.

As Link looked on, he noticed the speechless expression on Wolf's face. Seeing him caught with nothing to say in return was almost as good as Link's dreams of revenge. Almost.

The two of them continued to stare at one another, even across the long distance of the assembly dome. Link could feel the icy and irritated expression of Wolf staring back at him.

Rauru, desperate to fix this tension, pushed Link aside and moved in front of the podium. Link, however, continued to fix his glare on Wolf. It felt too good to see Wolf up there, without a word to say.

"Representative Wolf, of the Lylat System, excuse the sudden interruption. But, as you, along with this entire assembly of representative have just discovered, Representative Link of the Hylian System has made a safe return here after his kidnapping from his prison cell here at the League," Rauru said.

"Kidnapping…?" Wolf questioned. "You really would have this entire assembly of intelligent representatives believes such a tall tale?"

"Yes, I would have them believe it. It is only the truth that I speak of," Rauru countered. "And here to my other side is one person who's life has been at stake since the illegal blockade to her planet was enacted."

Zelda stepped forward after Rauru's announcement and pulled down the hood that had covered her face. The great room filled with loud and chaotic discourse of shock and surprise. Surely, nobody had expected to see both of the Hylians alive and well. Especially not after all the information Wolf had given them.

"Explain your self, old man," Wolf commanded over the loud chatter. It was obvious he was disconcerted with these appearances. "And let this entire hall understand why this single platform you are standing on has more bodies and delegates than it should. What are these representatives doing off of their designated stages?"

"The manner in which we stand and congregate on this single platform correlates directly with your acceptance speech as the 47th League of the Cosmos," Rauru began. "These delegates and I refuse your command and authority as the 47th Leader, and therefore we formally resign ourselves into exile, giving up our political powers under the protest of your leadership."

After he finished, Link noted how the entire place went silent. It was so quiet, he could even hear the faint sound of the others breathing, or the occasional rumble and gurgle of someone's stomach.

It was a blunt confession on behalf of Rauru, but perhaps the old man was just as frustrated and exhausted as he was. There really wasn't any time for formalities either. As Link had learned from Ike, Planet Hylia was in the midst of extreme danger. An uphill and almost hopeless struggle against the Flood.

"What is the cause of this…opposition?" Wolf said, almost stumped with the right use of words.

"I think, especially between you and Representative Link, that you know full well what the root of this is," Rauru responded, hinting at the traitorous acts Wolf had been doing in the Chozon Prime System, but had been hiding from the entire galaxy. That statement couldn't help but remind Link about that whole situation, several weeks ago, when he was carried away by guards and imprisoned here.

"A vague and general rebuttal on behalf of these delegates... I can't help but assume that this has to do with your back room dealings with the Space Pirate Confederation and the Flood that have brought much distrust and shame upon you Hylians. And now you return here to make some righteous claim that my authority is more dreadful than the fear and destruction you have birthed to this galaxy? You expect us all to believe this when you have paraded false princesses and are assisting escaped convicts?"

Wolf's voice only became increasingly irate and loud as he spoke each sentence. Other delegates began yelling in approval the creature's remarks too. Soon, the entire hall gathered in loud yells and shouts back and forth, between representatives that supported Wolf, those that remained neutral, and the group that stood on the Chozo platform in opposition.

Link even found himself shouting back, though the entire place had become so disruptive and noisy, that he could barely hear his own voice. Rauru stood next to him, yelling to try and calm the place once again. Behind him, Link could also hear Falco shouting obscenities against Wolf that would be too profane to mention. Fox had joined in, but wasn't using any foul language.

As he looked on, Link saw Wolf standing on his stage, arms crossed with a smug look on his face, as if pleased with the yelling and the arguments that he had created between the delegates. He could plainly tell that the creature had a way with others. An ability to feed on certain emotions and points that would get the desired reactions for his gain. It was a characteristic of Wolf that would be hard to overcome.

And then, through the noise, Link thought he heard someone trying to get his attention. Mostly oblivious, Link ignored it until he felt a tugging at his arm. Turning to the person, he saw Samus next to him saying something barely audible. Leaning in closer, he asked her to repeat herself.

"I said, something's not right! Just look at the walls and under the platforms! There are strange blurry-"

But before Samus could finish, the giant dome-like room went silent. Everyone had dropped their raucous voices to listen in on one person nobody had bothered listening too.

Standing at the podium on the Chozo platform was Princess Zelda. Link was uncertain how this would play out.

"Ah, Princess Zelda of Planet Hylia!" Wolf exclaimed. "Or is it really you? I remembered not too long ago that a woman of that same name was respectfully laid to rest in a funeral procession on this very planet. And, if you remember, such a thing is an honor that not many leaders receive..."

Link couldn't believe it. It was as if Wolf was trying to get Zelda to keep her mouth shut by making Nabooru's funeral a supposed dignified and glorified moment. That in turn would suggest her murder was just as glorious, which was an odd and terrifying rationalization that only Link and his fellow delegates on this platform would be able to understand.

And Zelda only stood there, composing herself and taking her time before speaking.

"I refuse to confront such false leadership, and instead I will direct this message to all the delegates of this hall," she began, but was immediately cut off.

"You do not have permission to address only this hall and not your commanding leader of the League. You are part of an illegal rebellion, refusing my authority without just cause. By the Galactic Laws, it is traitorous to reject my leadership when it was fairly voted in-" Wolf began to declare, but was subsequently cut off by Zelda.

"It is traitorous to be masking an illegal smuggling of Phazon to the Space Pirate Confederation by pretending to be investigating the situation under the pretense of justice and safety for the galaxy!" her voice rang with anger that nobody had ever witnessed before.

Just as the League had previously calmed down, the entire place went off in more chaotic and boisterous chatter and discussion that was louder than ever.

Link, startled himself, reached his hand out and grabbed her arm, worried that she might get herself into hot water if she continued on. But without acknowledge his gesture, she pulled her arm away, escaping his grip.

After she eluded his attention, Link diverted his gaze to Representative Wolf, hoping to see some kind of answer as to how this situation was going to unfold. It appeared that their admittance to denying his power was not going to be an easy way out, or a safe plan as they had hoped.

Watching Wolf, Link saw as the creature was busy talking on a wristband communicator. His eyes were rapidly looking around the dome, darting from platform to platform, while he continued to speak. And then…he stopped. He gave a last sweeping view of the place, and then backed away from his podium.

What could he be up to now? Link was suspicious of the creature, and so he kept his eyes fixated on him. But Wolf just stood there. And the entire League kept a long and drawn out argument between all sorts of delegates.

The noisy hall kept on until there was a sudden and drastic interruption.

Coming from above their platform was the sound of someone screaming. Everyone in the hall immediately stopped talking and turned their heads to the direction of the sound. The screaming was cut off, and that's when he saw it.

Staring upwards, trying to get a view of the problem, Link tilted his head in time to see a body drop. It came falling down from above, head first. As it accelerated downwards, the body of a representative quickly passed by them.

Everyone in the hall ran towards the edge of their platforms, some crying out in fear and shock, watching as this person's body finally hit the bottom of the assembly dome, from a one hundred foot drop.

As everybody was panicking about the situation, Link felt as an arm pushed him aside.

"Look!" he heard Samus cry, with her right arm pointing upwards to stage that the delegate had fallen from.

Propped near the railing of the platform was an insectoid space pirate of the Space Pirate Confederation, standing with its right arm poised outwards, a laser gun graphed to its arm.

"Ahhhh!" came a feminine scream from behind him. Link whipped himself around to see Princess Peach with a hand momentarily cupped over her mouth, as her wide eyes looked on at another insectoid alien. It was in the doorway that connected their platform to the hall beyond.

Immediately, Fox and Falco brandished their weapons and shot the creature several times. As they did, Link heard Samus cry out again.

"They're everywhere!" her voice shuddered.

Turning back around, Link saw as more of the same pirates could be seen appearing all over the assembly hall. Grappling onto walls, standing on platforms, perched upside down and beneath some stages, they were literally manifesting from nothing.

"Where the hell are they coming from??" Link shouted, lifting his left arm up and grabbing the Master Sword that was slung on his back.

"Cloaking technology! They've been here this whole time! It's a trap!" Samus called out.

But even as the entire place was filled with armed space pirates, none of them made a move. They all just stood there, clinging to walls or hanging, aiming their weapons and putting down any direct opposition.

"Ridley's minions…?" Representative Wolf yelled aloud at his podium. "A peaceful exile these delegates declared…? These, who have plotted with the SPC and the Flood…now they try once again to intervene and bring chaos and plot against my life…! Guards! GUARDS!" Wolf shouted.

Once again, it seemed as though Wolf was one step ahead of them. And Link couldn't believe it. He wasn't surprised that Wolf had staged something against them, but the degree at which he had gone was astounding. It seemed that the Representative of the Lylat Systems had no limits to his tricks.

And just how they would all overcome this, Link did not know. At the moment they were trapped. Space pirates filled the room, revealing themselves from hiding under illegal cloaking devices, and the guards had once again been called in.

But Link wasn't alone this time, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be a prison cell that awaited them all. What possibly awaited them, the moment alluded to no answers.

As the entire League of the Cosmos was taken hostage by the Space Pirate Confederation, fear, anger, and uncertainty filled the air. Everyone was posing for the worst. Zelda was standing with left arm supporting her right, steadying it for an attack. Rauru looked around with his stern eyes, noticing every little movement or sound. Samus was next to Link, her plasma pistol hidden behind her right thigh. Fox and Falco had their weapons aimed, in a standoff against two new space pirates that replaced the dead one in the doorway.

Ike was staggered in a wide legged stance, his sword hand clenched in a tight fist, hidden by a draped cape. Prince Marth was positioned beside Princess Peach, hand on sword hilt. Peach was against the railing of the ledge, watching the standoff.

Master Chief and Pit were in the center of it all. The green armored warrior stood amongst everyone, towering over and revealing nothing about his reaction to it all. The angel-like person, the shortest of everyone, beat his wings, causing white feathers to disperse every now and then.

Poised off to the side, Link turned away from the standoff and looked all over the assembly, at every other cornered representative. Then he remembered that Snake was somewhere else, above them on another platform, possibly in the same predicament.

Looking around to try and find the dark haired mercenary, a sudden and blaring sound filled the dome. An air siren, traditionally used to warn if any spacecraft had crossed into the "no-fly" zone that occupied a good mile around the League's dome in the sky, was now blaring at a considerably deafening volume.

The siren had never been used before, save for emergency exercises.

"What now?!" Link said to himself, looking frantically around for an answer, fearing the worst.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Wolf is a little twat, no? I love the idea of him being a conniving villian, so I keep playing on that. And, as you should be able to put together, he is behind the appearance of the SPC. Using illegal cloaking devices, they had remained hidden all over the place. Because they are insect-like, they have the ability to stick to walls, much like real bugs. And the blurry shapes that both Samus and Snake were seeing, were the SPC pirates in disguise. Ah, but how was Wolf so prepared to stage this??

So I lied to you. There will be another Multi POV chapter after this. I was going to just make this one, terribly long chapter, but I think it would have been too much in one sitting. So I cut it in two. Hope you don't mind.

Let's see…there was Fox, Captain Falcon, Snake, and Link in this chapter. It was fun to change it up with those other two, even as this story really revolves around five distinct characters. Perhaps I will make a chapter specifically for Master Chief. I'd have to think on that one, as he's technically not in SSBB…oh, but it's so tempting. :3

Onto the review replies!

**Doombringer: **You are in luck! As I had planned long ago, Samus and Ike will cross paths more directly as the story progresses. I really think those two would have a dynamic relationship, even if it's not romantic.

**Nintendogeek01:** Two good guesses, but neither of those series are the answer. You were a little warmer when you mentioned Earthsia…in some ways.

Hehehe, I'm glad you're still enjoying this story.

**TwilightBladerJulz: **We've already had our one on one about pairings, but I want to let everyone know this: even though this story isn't LinkxZelda, it is not going to disrespect any other character because of this. I really don't like bashing others because of pairings, so you won't see that from me. ;)

And I really couldn't do that with Zelda, as she is one of my favorite characters. X3

**Silvite's Cry: **Thank you so very much for the kind review. And I can't wait to reveal more!

**Alberto4395: **Yes, Samus and Link will develop…some kind of romance. To what extent and how deep it will go, that's what I hope will intrigue you!

**Seraph Dragon: **Roy who? LOL, sorry about not including him. If I add one more character to the mix, my brain will melt. And I thought that was a sufficing nickname for Samus too. XD

**Waltz of a Supernova: **Pit is a supporting character. You might even see a chapter with his POV. And wow, a cheese grater would be a fairly torturous way to die….Hmm….That gives me an idea! XD

And I hope to see more reviews from you! I'm always accepting regular reviewers! XD

**Flowershop78: **Aww, thanks! I can only hope I carry this story to its end with this same degree of interest from you!


	22. Chapter 22: Multi POV

**Part One**

**Chapter Twenty Two: Multi POV**

**- - - - - **

The siren's air raid reached such a deafening level, that Zelda could not help but cover her sensitive Hylian ears. Her face twisted into a cringing expression as even her hands could not protect her from the painful sound.

Looking around in the ensuing panic at the League, she noticed as many delegates began rushing and running away, only to be confronted by the space pirates and their skin grafted weapons. Some, she could see, were successfully getting away, but most of them fell to their deaths.

"No…this…this means…" Link was shouting to himself. It may have been a shout, but in the noise it seemed more like a whisper. However, Zelda could hear him. Turning towards Link, she asked him what the siren meant. He would know, being a representative and all.

"What is it??" Zelda nearly begged him to explain.

"Something in the air….there's something coming….!" Link shouted back.

"What?" the blond bounty hunter, Samus Aran, said turning to both of them.

"We better get moving," a new and unfamiliar voice said. With the sound coming from above her, Zelda turned her head slightly to see the amber toned helmet of the man known as Master Chief.

She had never heard the man speak before, and his cool and calm voice would almost suggest that nothing too extreme was happening. But he could have tricked her, now pulling out a large gun that was previously hidden on his back.

"Everyone, follow me!" his voice hit an exclamation that still hinted at a lack of enthusiasm.

As everyone began to position themselves to clear the path and escape under Master Chief's lead, a massive rumbling jolted everyone off their balanced stances.

And then, as Zelda looked around to pinpoint the root of the noise, she saw it.

Up above, at the top center of the dome where the Leader's headquarters' resided, was the splitting of cement. A crack was forming down the middle of it.

And it all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Even louder than the air siren itself, the sound of the roof collapsing inwards caused a momentary stinging pain in Zelda's ears. She could do nothing but drop to her knees and cover her face, in reaction to the rupture at the League's dome.

However, the Hylian princess could not remove her curiosity and need to watch the action, under the pretense of needing to protect herself and others. Looking back up, over the other bodies of the delegates who were now crouching on the Chozo platform, she watched as bits and pieces of cement and rubble came falling downwards, nicking and completely destroying various platforms along the way.

One piece of shrapnel came close enough to their own platform, grazing the outer edge and spooking Rauru and Link, who were nearest, forcing them to fall forward.

"Look!" cried a voice.

Quickly reacting to the suggestion, Zelda glanced upwards to see a winged reptilian creature descending downwards through the hole at the top, moving along with the shattered pieces dropping down.

It had a large and long mouth, almost beak-like. Razor sharp teeth filled the top and bottom rows, and glowing yellow eyes pierced a feeling of fear and trepidation to those unfortunate enough to look deep into them. Purple scales covered the entirety of its skin. They shined brightly as the sun's rays, breaking through the hole in the ceiling, shone upon the creature.

As the winged beast flew down upon the League, everyone on the Chozo platform got up and began to turn around to leave the stage and get into the safety of the hallway. As safe as it was, filled with space pirates.

But as Zelda turned around, with everyone's back facing her, as they were all prepared to exit, she could feel a gust of wind grazing her back. In a split second, the platform above them was crushed by a large chunk of cement that had fallen from the ceiling. The platform splintered into a million different pieces, some large, some small. Unfortunately for them, a large piece was sliding down towards their stage, going too fast to fully escape.

On the Chozo platform, Master Chief, Prince Marth, Princess Peach, Fox, Falco, Link, Ike, and Samus jumped forward, lunging and landing closest to the exit door. Pit, spreading his white wings, leapt off in time, hovering above them all. The second group, consisting of Zelda and Rauru, were on the farthest end of the stage.

As the piece fell and as everyone jumped to their closest area of safety, the cement and steel chunk from the broken stage above slammed into the center of their platform, splintering it into two pieces. Everyone, save for Zelda, Pit, and Rauru, were on the side closest to the door.

When the piece hit, Zelda could do nothing but jump away. Luckily, the stage broke off into two pieces, with one moving right beneath her feet, else she would have dropped off over the ledge and down a one hundred foot drop to her death. Rauru was almost as lucky.

Her body dropping forward, she wrapped herself around the splintered piece of the platform, with her legs and arms tightly wound on the razor fragmented piece that barely clung to the main body of the stage. Rauru, who leapt with Zelda, did not cling as safely as she did. His arms were all that grasped onto the piece at the very edge.

Under their weight, the piece tilted at a forty-five degree angle. Zelda's body was anchored downwards, with her head at the lowest point, looking on at Rauru, who had his arms wrapped around the very tip, desperately trying to hold on.

Zelda, seeing Rauru in need of help, began repositioning herself closer, scooting her legs and arms ever so slowly, while keeping her eyes locked on Rauru's grip. If she could just grab onto him, she figured he'd have some of the weight lifted off of his arms.

Slowly, Zelda pulled out her right hand, tilting her weight to compensate for the movement of the arm. Stretching it out, Zelda tried to get it close enough to Rauru.

"Zelda!!" cried the fear strickened voice of Link.

The sound of it distracted and surprised the princess and she had to drop her arm to grab back onto the piece of the platform, so she wouldn't lose her balance.

Turning her head slightly, she looked back at Link, wondering why he had yelled at her. She could see him, with his left arm reaching out over the jagged edge where the two pieces were once attached. As she watched him move closer and closer, she saw laser shots being fired overhead, flashing above Link's head.

"Zelda!! Give me your hand…!" Link's voice was increasingly desperate as laser beams flew by him. It seemed as though there was a confrontation near the door with the other delegates and the space pirates.

"C'mon Link! Let's go!" Samus's body appeared near the edge, grabbing Link's right arm.

"No!" he shouted back. Without saying why, Zelda watched as he turned back toward her. Samus, following his line of sight, moved her head in Zelda's direction. Upon seeing the Hylian straddling a splintered piece of the platform, Samus quickly moved in behind Link, attempting to help out.

Zelda watched as Samus grabbed onto Link, holding him so that he could move onto the narrow piece and reach Zelda.

"Hurry!" Zelda cried. She knew that if Link could get a hold of her, she would be better able to help Rauru. And that was all that mattered at the moment.

She kept her eyes on Rauru, making sure he wasn't going to fall. But as she kept her gaze fixated on him holding on, she saw in her peripherals as the winged creature fly upwards again, and was readying for another dive.

Her head whipped around to call on Link and Samus to hurry up, but there was no way they could be fast enough. The purple, flying reptilian dove right past them, and aptly drove itself around to face them. Its tail, following behind in repercussion to the swift movements, came right at the two.

Once again, it was like time had froze. Zelda's eyes began to widen and exposed the white's of the orbs as she watched in terror. Her head followed the tail, as it drifted right above her and towards Link and Samus.

Pit was able to dodge by flying upwards. All the other delegates, including Master Chief, Falco, and Ike, ducked in time, throwing themselves against the floor or to the wall nearest the door. But Samus and Link couldn't move fast enough.

Ridley's tail flew towards them, slamming into the two and knocking them off the platform and into the air. Zelda could not hear herself screaming, but she felt it in her lungs, as the wind escaped.

Watching it second by second, she saw as Link and Samus were thrown in the direction the tail had hit them, and then promptly dropping downwards at an angle, free falling in the League's massive chamber.

Zelda's body lurched slightly forward, still clinging to the piece. She watched in fear and uncertainty, as the two bodies continued falling.

But then, there was hope.

As Samus and Link both drifted towards a wall from the tail's momentum, Link took the opportunity to pull out his clawshot. He ejected the hook on the chain at the last moment, directly at the wall. It hit the wall with such force that it embedded itself into the cement. Because Link was still holding onto the other end of the clawshot, his body snapped from the chain catching him in place.

Samus, who was further behind him as they fell, was moving in his direction, still under a free fall. As she neared him, she stretched her arms out and caught Link's legs. The two of them swung against the wall from the collision, but were now safe from falling.

Zelda finally caught her breath as she watched them resting against the wall, hanging by the chain. Knowing that they were momentarily safe, she could at last redirect her attention to Rauru again. Only, in the split second that she had watched Samus and Link fall, she failed to notice that Rauru was now only holding on with his hands.

Without hesitation, she edged forward to try and swing an arm down to grab him. But her movements caused the piece they were holding onto to bend downwards more, giving ever so slightly under their weight.

"Pull yourself up slightly! I can grab onto you and give you support!" Zelda called out to him, frantic to bring him back up.

"If you move any more…this thing might collapse!" Rauru yelled back.

"There is no other choice! Please, just pull yourself up a little!" she persisted.

"…I…I can't, Zelda. I'm…losing my strength…" Rauru murmured, underneath a tired and weary breath.

Ignoring his refusal, Zelda decided to take things into her own hands, literally. Bending forward more, she outstretched her right arm and grabbed onto the Rauru's shoulder, pulling on his heavy, brown robe.

But as she was focusing in on Rauru, something was moving behind him. Slowly lifting her head up to look, her eyes met with the yellow glowing orbs attached to Ridley's long and lean head. The reptilian's wings were flapping, moving himself up to gain a better view of them all.

"Who is this creature?" Zelda thought, wondering why it kept redirecting itself to them.

And then, as it hovered right before them, its mouth opened up. Zelda could feel a suction sensation in the air, as a breeze was kicking up and moving into its mouth.

Ridley was beginning to take a large breath of air. And the blonde Hylian began to panic. If this monster was going to scream at them, the vibrations and tremors could cause the splintered piece to finally break away, killing both her and Rauru.

The wind was picking up speed at a faster pace. Her hair and clothes were flowing towards the mouth of Ridley. And then…a pause.

Would the giant beast make its next move?

In the second that the creature stopped taking in its breath, a white feather drifted between Zelda and Ridley, gracefully falling down, sweeping to the left, then to the right, and back and forth.

Zelda quickly glanced around to see where it had come from. And up in the air to her right, was Pit, hovering just behind her with his bow drawn. Just as she had spotted him, he released the bow, and the arrow he had set went flying.

Then, Zelda heard the low rumbling tremble of something in pain. The winged creature was thrown backwards in response to the shot of the arrow. Its head was swinging low, nodding back and forth. In its right eye, Zelda could see Pit's arrow lodged in the center.

Thankful for the angel's help, she turned her attention back to Rauru. His grip was worsening, even with her holding onto him.

"Zelda!" cried the voice of Ike, emanating from behind her.

"Ike! Help! Please, I can't hold him any longer. …I can't do it!" she responded.

"No, Zelda. Go. I'll find a way. Just go. It is…not safe here…" Rauru's voice trembled below her.

"No…" her voice choking on newly forming tears. She was beginning to come to terms with the fact that her strength alone would not be enough to lift Rauru to safety. And she knew he was lying in saying that he would find a way himself. It was obvious that Rauru would not be able to help himself, and instead wanted Zelda to promptly remove herself from the danger here.

He was a practical and wise man, always prioritizing, even putting himself last. It was no different from when he threw himself over her as Sheik, when Nabooru was assassinated…

"Zelda, he's right. Just give me your hand!" Ike called out to her.

"Please, princess. Remember…remember what is at stake…" Rauru spoke to her.

Zelda just froze and tightened her grip on him.

"Go, your highness. I'm an old man…do not worry about me dear," he said.

"I-I can't let go…I-I can't move my hand…" Zelda's mournful voice, almost a whisper now, replied. And what she said was partially true. Something from within just wouldn't let herself let go.

"Zelda…C'mon! The others are leaving!" Ike shouted.

Zelda hesitated. She could hear that winged creature flying around, terrorizing other delegates as it was brushing its face against the walls, trying to remove the arrow from its eye.

And then, her grip loosened, but with her hand still hovering over his shoulder.

"Zelda…" Rauru began. His voice was so strained, he could barely whisper under his weakening strength.

Her face leaned in to listen, as her hand began to jolt back to grab onto him.

"Don't give up!" Rauru shouted, pushing his hands off the ledge, throwing himself downwards.

At that moment, as her eyes watched his body become smaller and smaller as he descended, Zelda tried to say something under the immensity of Rauru's action….but nothing coherent came out. Just an emotional and garbled scream, as her heart dropped to her stomach, seemingly skipping a beat, and her face beginning to burn and moisten from the onslaught of tears.

As she was distracted, Ike moved in on the ledge to grab her, and pull her to safety. When his hand latched onto the back of her dress, yanking her off of the splintered edge, Zelda tried to fight back, but it was no use.

Dragging her onto the platform, Zelda thrashed and threw herself all around. She was losing herself in a fit of sadness, disbelief, and rage. Having never caught herself in such a predicament, she was unprepared with how to deal with it. Her body uncontrollably shuddered and each breath she took the strength of all her muscles, as she heaved and sobbed.

Ike continued to drag her, but then stopped. He couldn't keep pulling her like this; especially once they left the platform and got into the hallway, which was chaotic with space pirates clashing with fleeing delegates.

"Stand up, we need to catch up with the others," Ike commanded her.

But it was no use. Zelda was lost in herself. Besides Link, the last remaining vessel to her now ravaged planet of Hylia, was gone. First, she lost Impa. Then, Link disappeared. And now, with Rauru gone, Zelda began to feel very alone in the midst of this confrontation. And even though Link was now alive and well, she couldn't help but feel more vulnerable and afraid that everyone around her were like glass figurines: a tough exterior, but incredibly fragile and susceptible to complete ruin.

To lose Rauru was like losing a father or grandparent. She had grown up with the man, learning all her spells as the two trained their magic. But most importantly was the time he spent in helping her rule Planet Hylia. He may have been her "magic" advisor, but to her, he was more than that. An irreplaceable friend and counsel.

"Please, get up! I can't help you if you can't help yourself!" Ike cried out to her, standing in the doorway and watching for any space pirates.

But Zelda wouldn't budge.

Turning his head back to check on her, a laser beam was fired right past him, grazing his cheek and burning his skin.

"Dammit!" he stammered, dropping to the floor and cupping his face. More shots rang out overheard.

Crawling over to her, she watched as Ike pulled himself to her side and grabbed her shoulders.

"What is wrong with you?!" he asked her, his voice growing more impatient and angry. She didn't realize that it could mean the death of both of them if she didn't move.

And Zelda continued to sob and ignore him.

"C'MON!" he shook her now, and tried to forcibly stand her up. As he did, Zelda lashed out. Pushing him away angrily, Ike stumbled backwards, tripping on his cape. His body flew towards the ground, closer and closer to the ledge where the platform broke into two.

Hitting the ground, the back of his head hung over the edge.

Zelda stopped crying. She stood there in fear that she could've sent Ike falling over the edge.

"I-I'm sorry Ike," was all she could muster.

Quickly getting back up, Ike didn't say a word. Instead, he walked past her, in a huff and giving her a look that suggested he had had enough.

He exited the doorway, paused, and solemnly spoke.

"Let's go…now."

- - -

Ike knew what Zelda was feeling. He knew the anger, the pain, the rush of emotions, hitting you like a stampede of wild horses. He had experienced it before, when he witnessed the death of his own father by the infamous Black Knight of Tellius. So there wasn't any hardship between him and Zelda over what she had done, but he certainly couldn't hide his momentary anger for the way she was acting.

It wasn't familiar to him, the anger she unleashed, and so he was caught off guard. Nearly falling off of the platform, Ike did everything he could to stop the momentum, and luckily enough, he didn't tip over the edge.

And now, after getting himself up, the two of them entered the hallway. They were headed down it, trying to catch up with the others. Up ahead, they could see the tall armored body of Master Chief, as he was clearing the path of space pirates.

And every now and then, the insectoid minions of Ridley would fly out of some platform's doorway to try and attack Zelda and Ike. But the swordsmen used his blade to deflect every laser shot, slowly moving in to hack the creature into bits.

And at last, they caught up with Master Chief, Prince Marth, Princess Peach, Pit, Fox, and Falco. They were all still following the Spartan's lead, descending the hall. All of them carefully maneuvered their feet over the fallen corpses of both representatives and pirates. The piles of bodies seemed to grow in number the further they wound down the hall.

Ike began to realize that it was possible that nobody was making it out of here alive. After all, there was still an elevator to descend, than a massive flight of stairs before reaching the landing platforms.

But they were an effective team, with Fox and Falco flanking near the walls, with Master Chief running down the middle, firing away. Prince Marth was just behind the three, wielding his sword in such a manner, that even if a pirate was shot down, he made sure they also met his blade.

Pit and Princess Peach stayed behind with Ike and Zelda. Pit could only attack best at long range, with his bow and arrow. Zelda didn't have enough time to properly cast a spell, and Princess Peach had a blunt object in her hand that she used to pummel anything in her path.

And behind them all was Ike, watching over, making sure that everyone would make this out alive.

Once they all reached the elevator lobby, Ike noticed Link and Samus, standing back to back, guarding one of the elevators. They were fending any pirate trying to take them down, and were effective in doing so, as a massive pile up surrounded them.

There was a brief celebratory acknowledgement of Samus and Link, knowing that they were alive and in good condition.

"Alright, you six go ahead. Here, take this," Master Chief promptly instructed, handing Ike a hologram disc that was usually attached to his arm.

The six the Chief was talking about were Marth, Peach, Zelda, Samus, Link, and Ike.

"We'll stand guard here, and wait for the others," the Spartan said.

"What others?" Ike asked, as he and his group went into the elevator.

"…Snake," Master Chief responded, just as the doors were closing.

"Snake…!" Zelda said, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"He'll be fine," Samus told the princess, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Ike, turn that thing on," Link asked him, referring to the hologram.

Ike quickly acted in doing so, and a purple and blue form of a human appeared hovering above it. It was Cortana, Representative of Earth.

"Alright everyone, be careful once we hit the bottom floor," the woman jumped right to speaking.

"My sensors are detecting that above normal levels of life forms are in the 1st floor lobby. For now, I will instruct you on where to go. We will be leaving this place and heading for the landing platforms. I advise you sir," she said, referring to Ike, "that you keep a close eye on the map I am going to upload."

Her body immediately vanished, and a 3D map of the environment took its place.

"You all should know where the exit is, but once we leave, I suggest everyone to follow my lead," her voice manifested from the disc.

Holding it in his right hand, Ike had his sword put away. Although it irked him to not be in better position to defend himself, he knew full well that others would provide cover.

And this they did. As they exited the elevator, they were welcomed with a barrage of gunfire from pirates. But the group had no choice but to rush out, so that the others would be able to call up the same elevator.

Charging out of the building, they safely exited, running down the massive bright white marble flight of stairs, stained here and there with trails of blood from injured representatives who were able to flee this far.

"Okay, get onto the landing platform sector 9B. On level 2 you'll find an olive green Pelican Dropship of the UNSC. Once in range, I'll activate the cargo bay doors, and you six would do well to strap yourselves in," Cortana said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **I haven't decided yet if this will end Part One. I kinda think it would be better for me to end it by having this ordeal at the League be over. Go figure, I'll have to stop making promises. XD

And I must apologize for the over one week long delay on this. It was a rough week, but things should start getting better, I hope.

So, sorry for killing off Rauru. Well, I shouldn't say it like that. He was necessary for the story, but I couldn't keep him forever. But don't worry, this event has meaning.

Alright, onto the reviews:

**TJtrack99: **I have most of this story already planned out, including the ending. Hell, I think the ending came before the beginning when I was making this stuff up in my head. XD

**Silvite's Cry:** Contact inside the group…that is one way of putting it.

**Seraph Dragon: **Ah, Wolf IS always prepared. A festering and annoying little trait of his.

**Flowershop78: **MEH, but they made Wolf somewhat of a good guy in the latest installments of the Star Fox games. WTF??

**She's Going the Distance: **Thank you very much!

**NintendoGeek01: **Sadly, I've only seen Earthsea's TV show. I have broken the number one rule of reading the books first. X

**Doombringer: **Heheh, I hope this chapter was epic enough. Next one should be too. Would be more epic if I could just cram them all together…

**Alberto4395: **As always, you'll find out about C. Falcon and Snake soon…

**Waltz of a Supernova: **I hope he shows up in the next game. That would be too cool.

I can pretty much pull inspiration from the lowest levels of society. XD


	23. Chapter 23: Multi POV

**Part One**

**  
Chapter Twenty Three: Multi POV**

When the ceiling began to heave and bend to the force of something above, Snake knew he was in a bad position, and needed to get off the platform he was hiding on. And while there were space pirates everywhere, this mercenary was heavily armed enough to handle such a predicament.

As small pieces of the ceiling were crumbling and leaving dust and small rocks on his shoulders, Snake glanced upwards to see a great crack tearing down the middle. Getting to his feet in seconds as the roof gave way, Snake twisted to face the door and leapt.

His body parallel to the ground, he went flying forward, clutching the bottom of the doorway as the platform he had been previously standing on was pummeled by a massive piece of concrete.

Hanging on, with one arm further ahead and pushing into the floor, and the other one clutching the very edge, he tilted his head backwards slightly to see why the roof had collapsed. His legs were pushing into the wall, all for the sake of keeping himself alive.

But when Snake turned to look, he almost lost his grip. What emerged through the roof shocked him and turned his blood colder than when he encountered the first Metal Gear prototype.

"Monster" was the first term that came to his mind when he looked upon the winged terror. As it descended, its purple wings spread out, creating more surface area to catch its intense speed.

Snake continued to watch it, as its large mouth snapped towards delegates on their platforms, catching a few in its razor beak. He was still hanging, but couldn't remove his fixation. That was, until he felt something piercing his arm. Quickly looking back, his gaze met the small beady eyes of a space pirate. Its foot was pressing down onto Snake's outstretched arm.

In this position, Snake was out of luck. Rather than thinking about what to do, he just had to make a move. There was no time for thoughts, especially when a laser gun is pointed straight to your head.

Snake picked up his right leg and pressed the bottom of his foot against the wall. He was going to jump down to the platform beneath him, but the space pirate had caught his movements, had seen him reposition his leg. It pressed its gun right against the top of Snake's head, with such force that his neck gave way under the pressure, and he had to lean back slightly.

Looking back at it, Snake wondered why it hadn't killed him yet. The black eyes of the space pirate just stared nonchalantly back at him. And then its head cocked to the side as it moved in closer.

It crouched down to his level, moving its face in closer to his. It stopped about two inches away, as it just seemed to stare at him. Its right arm that was grafted with a laser gun deeply embedded into the flesh began to slightly lower, moving down the side of his head, and towards his neck.

Snake's breathing soon became strained with the gun pressing hard into his neck. It was nearly to the point where he couldn't take a breath. Sweat began to trickle down the back of his neck as he watched the pirate with anticipation. There was, after all, still a large monster flying around down below. Snake figured if this pirate wasn't going to kill him, then that thing below would swat or crush him with its wings.

As the entire assembly hall would rumble and tremble from time to time, Snake and the pirate continued to be locked in this confrontation. But it wasn't long before he watched the pirate move its left arm over its right.

Pressing a button onto the gun, the laser began to charge, casting a yellow and orange light against Snake's face.

And that's when he knew he had to make his move.

But as it turned out, there was no reason to. In an instant, a large and heavy shuddering shook the entire dome. More massive concrete pieces ruptured from the walls and the ceiling, falling downwards onto platforms below.

And the space pirate, who was ready to shoot Snake, lost its balance and dropped over the ledge, over Snake, and towards the bottom of the nearly one hundred foot fall.

Snake quickly pulled himself up, not taking anymore time to watch what was happening. Entering the hallway, he was immediately confronted with more space pirates, all of which he shot down with 9mm.

Snake, who was usually accustomed to sneaking and stealth, had no choice but to opt for a more dangerous action. Running down the hallway and gaining momentum the further he went, Snake was on a path to meet up with the others, no matter how risky it was to simply charge down the hall. He was worried that their fate was loosely hanging in balance, and the images he saw of other representatives exiting their platforms, covered in blood and bewildered, certainly did not help.

Some of them tried to reach out and grab Snake, as they pleaded and begged for help. Others fell to the ground, clutching their foreheads or wounds, and resided to either death or a miracle.

Finally, after what seemed like an endless run, Snake reached the Chozo platform where the others were. But nobody was there. And neither was half the platform.

Snake's stomach dropped as he gazed upon the splintered stage. But there wasn't any blood, so he was sure that some had either escaped, or worse, fell to their deaths.

And with no time to contemplate what had happened, Snake re-entered the hallway, only to be confronted with a seemingly endless amount of space pirates.

However weary and distressing the whole situation was, a new sense of urgency entered his heart. It was beating a mile a minute, with such force and power, that he could almost hear it echoing within his throat. Knowing that the fate of Samus, Zelda, Rauru, and the others was now at an even higher stake, Snake plunged onwards. And with every step he took, his heart fluttered in anticipation and fear.

"They have to be alive…one of them had to have made it…there was no blood…" were the thoughts revolving over and over in his mind. More than ever, he needed these people. There was no way one man could stand against Representative Wolf, the SPC, Ganondorf, and the possible threat of a new Metal Gear…

No…not one man. This he had only recently come to terms with. Although a lone wolf in his personal life and with his missions, Snake knew that his old strategy would not work.

He kept running. He kept taking step after step down the blood stained white walls and floor of the League's main hallway. And as he treaded through blood and over corpses, his mind began to flash with the images of everyone.

He saw their faces…Samus turning her head towards him, creasing her eyebrows and frowning, as she so often did. And he could see Rauru, with his stern expression and white moustache hiding his mouth as his demanding and booming voice spoke. And then he saw Zelda, with her wavy blonde hair hiding her face as she stared downwards solemnly, looking at nothing in particular. Link, with his blank countenance that was like a mask to his true thoughts and feelings. And finally Ike and his headband flowing in the wind…his piercing gaze that could make anyone feel naked and ashamed.

Snake could see them all, but what did the vision mean? Was it really a vision and not just the fear he felt within, that he had tried to keep a lid on for so long? Did he really begin to care for these strangers…?

"_Just live…" _

It was the voice of Naomi Campbell echoing in his brain. It was what she told him after the end of the Shadow Moses incident, when Snake knew he had been infected with the FoxDie virus. Ever since that event, Snake had been able to release the many layers of himself that he had kept hidden, knowing that his fate was sealed in something inside of him. That what flowed in his veins was going to ultimately end his life.

It was like an awakening, to have that knowledge. And so, Snake found it easier to live outside of his missions, to connect with real people, and try to be a genuinely good person. But it hadn't come so easily…until now.

What was it about these people that opened him up? Why did he feel so personally obligated to protect them?

As Snake turned the final curved corner of the hall, he looked beyond and saw the elevator lobby. And amidst all the bodies of delegates and pirates, he saw his allies.

Up ahead was Master Chief surrounded by Fox, Falco, and Pit.

"Where are the others?" Snake seemed to shout, completely out of breath.

"They went on ahead," Master Chief replied, turning to the elevator and hitting a switch. "They should be safe by now."

And when Snake heard that, his shoulders released, his jaw relaxed, and his chest collapsed.

The weight was lifted.

- - -

They all sat in silence. Every now and then you could hear someone taking a heavy breath or readjusting themselves in their seat. But other than that, nothing.

Samus looked around in the near darkness as she waited with Peach, Zelda, Ike, Link, and Marth. They were all waiting for the others.

With Cortana uploaded into the operating system of the Pelican Dropship Troop Carrier, all everyone else had to do was sit strapped into the seats. The spacecraft could hold 10 soldiers sitting, and many more standing if necessary, Samus noted. There were two columns of seating, built into the sides of the cargo bay, and as such, one would directly face the other. Samus was looking across the way at Ike, who was seated next to Marth and Peach. Next to Samus was Link and Zelda.

They were harnessed in with over the shoulder straps that crossed over the chest and buckled into the seat between the legs. Everyone either hung their head in silence with their arms grasping the two belts that crossed over the chest, or they stared intently at the cargo door.

Samus stared mostly at the door, but every now and then she'd have to glance away because the wait was almost unbearable. The thought of the others not making it certainly passed her mind. And she was nearly at that point of coming up with a plan just in case.

As she turned her head again, Samus caught the eyes of Ike looking back at her. They were bright blue but something about them hinted at warmth and starkness. But the warmth did not imply friendliness. Rather, there was something burning behind those eyes that suggested at unfinished business…of unrequited love…of severe loss.

Samus continued to stare back at him. She knew the look he was giving. There was something about it that reminded her of her self. The bounty hunter was trying to think of something to say, as their stare was being awkwardly drawn out. But when she opened her mouth to speak, Ike looked away.

Samus turned her head down, and then glanced back at the door. As she did, she could see Zelda's face, as the princess was sitting next to her and closest to the door. She could see something dash across her cheek. A tear maybe? But for what reason that the Hylian would be crying, she did not know.

And then it hit her. Rauru was not with them.

Another tear ran across Zelda's face. Samus quickly turned to Link to ask him about it. Perhaps there was an unspoken plan for Rauru, or perhaps Zelda had secretly confided to him about where Rauru was.

Whatever was the case, Samus felt she couldn't ask Zelda her self. The bounty hunter was never good with emotional situations.

"Link…" she began. "Where's-"

But before Samus could finish her question, the cargo bay began to open. As the door lifted, everyone's heads turned to it, with the light slowly casting over their feet, then their legs, and finally their entire bodies. Samus could see the silhouettes of five people standing outside, their bodies dark from the light of the sun hitting their backs.

"Get strapped in. I'm heading to the front," Master Chief's voice sounded, as his body crossed the threshold and passed everyone.

Behind him came Fox, Falco, Pit, and Snake. Samus quickly exchanged a glance with Snake, nodding in approval of his presence. But she didn't see Rauru with them, and when the door began to shut, her stomach dropped.

She had enough pieces of the puzzle to know that he was gone.

As the ship began to take off, Samus drew a deep breath, sighing as she had a moment to take everything in. after all that had happened, since her first days of coming to the League, she was now leaving it in ruins. She could never have guessed things would have progressed this far.

She shook her head to move her bangs out of her face. Dropping her arms into her lap and with her eyes closing, she felt the inclination to forget this all. To just forget it, if not just for a little while, and to get some rest.

Just as she thought she was drifting off into sleep, she could hear Snake's voice breaking the silence.

"Zelda…" she could hear. "What is it?"

Opening her eyes slightly, she could hear the stifled cries of Zelda, trying to choke back on her tears. But they eventually broke away into full fledged cries.

"I…I wasn't ready to leave…" she cried softly.

"Huh…?" Snake murmured.

Samus opened her eyes fully and turned her head to Zelda, as she saw the princess hanging her head as far forward as she could. Over it, Snake's face was looking back at her, with a slightly distressed expression.

Samus just mouthed Rauru's name, and Snake then turned his head away.

"Dammit!" Link's voice angrily shouted. Samus saw as his fist punched his thigh in frustration.

But there was nothing she could think to say. The two Hylians' could not be offered any comfort right now, as everyone else was still absorbing the events.

As Samus' eyes began to close again, the unthinkable happened.

As if from nowhere, the ship shook and rocked from what seemed to be an explosion. Everyone on board screamed and yelled in shock. They had all hoped the danger had passed, but it appeared things were not over yet.

"What was that?" Samus screamed at the direction of the cockpit.

"We're under attack," Cortana's voice spoke over the loudspeaker radio. "Hold on tight!"

The Pelican continued onwards, as the blast didn't seem to compromise the mechanics of the ship.

But just as things were going smooth, there was another hit. Only this time, it was so heavy and with such force that the dropship tilted to the side and began to plummet in a spinning nosedive.

Everyone on board was being forced to the side of their seat, pressed against one another as the ship continued to spin downwards. The emergency alarm was blaring, but not loud enough over the cries of everyone.

Nearly everyone's cries were discernable. From Peach's high pitched shrieks of fear, to Snake's deep and overtly masculine scream, Samus could hear it all. Except her own. Nothing came from her mouth.

She was speechless.

Holding onto her right hand was Link's gloved left hand, gripping her's.

Was he doing it to try and fight the pressure of the ship spinning, as it forced him against the seat next to him. Or was there something more to it?

- - -

"Cortana, I need you to tell me where we are hit," Master Chief asked the AI, as he gripped an overhead panel to keep himself standing, even as the Pelican was spinning towards the ground.

"Already on it Chief. The ship's left engine stabilizers have been compromised. Permission to manually override the controls to redistribute the weight?" she asked him.

"…Yes…" his voice was now tired by the force that was trying to throw him against the wall.

"Well don't just stand there! If we hope to stabilize this ship, we're going to have to shake this Wolfen!" she matter-of-factly remarked.

"Right…" he responded, trying to regain his balance to a better stance.

"You know, there is a Spartan Laser in the weapon's bin in the cargo bay. I can open up the door for you so you can get a good shot…." Her voice hinted at an almost sensual temptation.

"And risk the lives of everyone back there?" Master Chief asked.

But there was no response. Cortana only put one hand on her hip and shifted her weight to the side.

"Okay," he said, slowly turning himself around.

As he moved through the cockpit and into the troop carrier, he could hear the AI's voice in the back warning him of their impending collision to the ground below.

Ignoring her rather dry and dark humor, Master Chief worked his way through the cargo bay, as the door opened and a massive vortex of air began to pull on everyone.

With one arm holding a piece of tubing along the ceiling, he pulled open a compartment and lifted up the Spartan Laser with other hand, and rested it against one of his shoulders.

With the door completely open, he could see the Wolfen in the distance, as it was flying away from them.

With a steady aim set on the spacecraft, Master began to charge up the laser. He knew that he'd have to use both of his arms to fire it, but doing so would risk him being sucked out of the ship.

Nevertheless, he took the risk.

With the laser charged up, he let go off the tube, gripping the gun with both hands. In doing so, his feet began to skid across the floor as his body was being pulled out by the suction of the open bay door.

Halfway to the door, the laser fired, emitting a red beam that pulsed across the skies, striking the Wolfen spaceship and completely destroying it.

As the rubble flew from the smoking debris, Master Chief let go of the gun just in time, and threw his arms upwards, grabbing a pipe along the ceiling. The gun was pulled out by the force of the air, but Spartan 117 was safely inside, holding onto tightly.

And just as the task was completed, Cortana gained control of the left engine, stabilizing the Pelican and sending them on a straight course ahead.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Okay, phew. That does it for Part One. IT IS OVER FINALLY! And you got a teaser POV of Master Chief. Not really as personal as the other characters, but isn't that part of his character, you know? Not to be completely known and all…

So I haven't described Samus' reaction to Ridley yet, as she is still in shock over the moment. However, because he is important to her story, this will be noted later.

**Seraph Dragon:** Yeah, poor Rauru. But the old man had it coming! XD

**Doombringer:** I'm glad you're hooked! But I'm sorry you didn't get her reaction to Ridley yet.

**Waltz of a Supernova: **Yes, you will eventually find out how the Phazon, the Triforce, and a possible new Metal Gear have in common. As to your inquiry about Link, only time will tell. ;)

**Alberto4395:** Oh man, you are too kind. -hugs- Thanks so much for the comments!

**Nintendogeek01: **I'm glad you feel for Zelda! I didn't want it to be emo, I wanted it to be realistic, and if you were gripped by it, I hope I did the job right.

**TwilightBladerJulz: **IkexZelda? Are you sure…? And so far as I have planned, there will be three parts to this story. They won't necessarily be of the same length though.

**xXTwilightKunoichiXx: **You'll have to see. One should be obvious now…one other should still be a mystery.

**Bankai 179: **Thank you so much!


	24. Chapter 24: Link

**Part Two**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Link**

It had been nearly thirty minutes since they almost crashed into the League, on board the Pelican Dropship. But now as everyone sat in complete silence, some drifting in and out of sleep, an unusual feeling of calm rested upon all of them.

The ship was completely stable, there had been no attack for the past half hour, and it truly began to feel more normal and safe for every minute that passed by. It had even gotten so quiet and relaxed that Samus had unrestrained herself and left her seat, walking towards the cockpit to perhaps have a word with Master Chief and Cortana.

"Where…?" was all Link could say as he watched her remove the shoulder restraints. It had been suggested by Master Chief that everyone stay strapped in, in the case that another surprise would be mounted against them. However, Samus was often in her own world, perhaps a trait she learned from living in solitude or from her short relationship with Snake.

"I'm just going to have a word with the Chief," she responded. "We're going to have to lay low until we can all come together on a concrete plan. And I know just the place for doing it."

"Uh…okay," Link said, watching her as she moved across the passenger bay and into the front of the ship.

Turning his head back, Link shut his eyes. In doing so, he could concentrate more intensely and listen to the breath and minute movements of everyone in the room. It was almost soothing to him, to hear it all. And before he realized it, he was falling asleep.

His mind was beginning to weave in and out of complete darkness and a dream. It was like a dream sequence being continually interrupted, and then starting up again where it last left off.

And the images he saw were discomforting. It felt like something he had experienced, though there was no true memory of it.

It was the same dreams he had while he was prisoner on the Phendrana Drifts. And it was as eerily lucid as the others ones…

"Slllowllyyy nowww…we don't want to make any marks…" a voice spoke out.

As the light seemed to fade in and out, Link saw what he thought was the form of a space pirate looking over and down at him. But its body was silhouetted by a bright light behind it.

Its arm began to reach over him and touch him. Link thought he was feeling this, but how could it be real if this was a dream?

"Close it off completely now. Then we'll up the dosage and watch and wait. Did you finish order 4308?" a different space pirate now walked towards them, looking down at Link as well.

"Yes, the other request has been finished," the first one said.

Then there was a pause. Link watched as the two space pirates' heads both titled in unison to the side.

"He should be pleased," one of them finally spoke.

"Yes, he should be pleased."

- - -

"Link…?"

"Link? Hello…?" a husky and feminine voice spoke softly. The Hylian could feel himself moving back and forth.

"C'mon, wake up and _get_ up. We're here…" the voice continued to talk to him.

"Huhnnn….?" Link blurted out, his head feeling heavy and his mind still half asleep.

"We're getting off the ship," a deep and masculine voice said.

Finally opening his eyes completely wide, Link saw both Samus and Snake standing in front of him. Snake had a slightly mystified expression upon his face, before walking away and towards the light coming from the side.

To Link's right was the cargo bay door. It was open and Ike and Marth were standing by it. They were both looking around outside. And every now and then, Fox and Falco would walk past the two.

Link, still strapped in, finally realized that they had landed. But he had not a clue where.

"What's going on?" he asked Samus.

"We've landed on Ia-Ves. It's a sparsely populated planet in the sixth outer vector quadrant. That means we're basically out of the way of any sentient life form that has the capacity to kill us," she explained, with her usual odd sense of humor.

"Does this mean we can all rest and get something to eat?" he asked her.

Samus shook her head with a smile on her face.

"C'mon, why don't you get out of your seat like the rest of us and just breathe some fresh air. We can worry about food later," she responded.

"My stomach's worried about food now," Link slyly remarked. His humor almost matched Samus's, though it was much more sarcastic and somewhat mocking when he felt like it.

Samus couldn't help but laugh out loud a little. And it was probably the first time Link had seen such a genuine positive emotion coming from her.

He quickly undid the harness while she walked towards the exit and stood outside. Moving out to follow her, Link could see green grass below. When he finally stepped out, there was green grass everywhere.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the woman known as Princess Peach said, walking past him and towards a tree.

All around them were dozens of trees. It was thick enough to make him wonder how they found enough space to land, but thin enough that one could see rays of sunshine breaking through the areas between the trees. And on the ground were flowers of almost every color. Yellows, oranges, faint pinks, and deep purples.

Link was completely stunned. It seemed like it was only a minute ago when he was enduring a nightmare, on board a ship that was doomed to crash, or at the League that was under attack by a giant winged creature…and now here he was.

It was the picture perfect setting. It reminded him of the forests of Kokiri.

But before he could catch his breath and stretch his legs, he felt a nudge at his side.

"Hey, why don't you have a talk with Zelda?" Samus instructed him. The bounty hunter pointed towards the Hylian Princess who was sitting on the ground, nearly hidden by a shadow of a tree, by a small creek.

"Right," Link muttered.

As he walked towards her, he could see everyone relaxing in the warmth of the sun, or talking to one another. Some were discussing what could possibly be done now; others were merely creating small talk and getting to know each other.

Without saying anything to her, Link sat down beside Zelda. He took a deep sigh and leaned back, resting his palms against the grass.

"Link…?" she asked him.

"What?" he replied.

"I don't feel sad," she said.

"What?" Link repeated, but in a more inquisitive manner.

"I don't feel sad anymore. About Rauru, about Hylia, about your kidnapping. I just don't feel sad…" she tried to explain.

"Uhh…" he began, somewhat caught off guard. "So…what _do_ you feel…?"

There was a pause. Zelda tilted her head up to the sky. A small breeze caught her hair and caused it to drift over her face.

"Nothing. I feel nothing."

Link then put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the gesture, being startled by his touch. Quickly glancing at him, her eyes had a sense of emptiness in them.

"Zelda, you've been through a lot. Most of us have. And you've finally hit rock bottom…"

He paused, thinking about what to say next.

"But don't worry, you will swim back to the top soon enough," he told her.

"Have you?" she inquired.

"Have I what?" he asked.

"Did you have to do that….? Get yourself up to the top, to the surface as you put it, when you were held prisoner?"

Removing his arm from her shoulder, Link lifted himself up and now stood by her.

"I'm still working my way up. But in this moment here and now, we're alive and in good health. And that's hope enough for me to see that I can make it. We all can, no matter the ultimate outcome. Even if we die, or if we're all lucky enough to live this out, I know there'll be a better future," he started to say, his mind drifting into a sea of emotions.

"None of us will live forever, but the future will. And that's why we do what we do. To ensure that the next moment will be good. Maybe just for ourselves, maybe just for others. What Rauru did was for others. It was for us," Link finished.

"I know," Zelda began. "But it's hard to not play it over and over in my mind. For a moment I was angry, then sad, then angry, then okay, and then I got upset all over again for what he did. And now…nothing. I've played it out so many times that I don't even want to think about it ever again. I don't want to think about anything."

"I know…but Zelda-" but before Link could finish, they were interrupted by Snake.

"Sorry to intrude, but Pit has scouted some shelter not too far from here. And everyone's getting ready to leave for it."

"Alright," Zelda said, getting up from her spot. "We can talk more later, Link."

Link nodded his head as they followed Snake back to the Pelican where everyone was waiting.

"There's a cave not too far from here. If we all gather some firewood along the way, perhaps we can make a decent enough home for the night," the white winged man said to the three as they approached.

"In this moment here and now," Zelda said softly to Link, repeating the same words he said to her. "Nothing sounds better than that."

A faint smile spread across her face as they looked at one another.

- - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Wow, what a really short chapter to kick off Part Two. With school having started, it's harder for me to get into the groove and find some time by the computer when it's quiet. Thusly, you'll have to deal with this short one for now.

So here's what to expect for Part Deux: more character interactions (between everyone) meaning more character development…new characters from games that are already represented in this fic…more romance (I swear it will finally happen! Especially within the next few chapters!!)…more action in the form of sweeping camera angles of battlefields and gripping close quarter combat that I can only wish my writing could perfectly portray…race sequences…some justice for the good guys finally!...more explanations into the Triforce/Phazon/Metal Gear deal…sexy times (if I can finally just develop the romances!!)…close calls…deception, death, and drunkenness...and perhaps some pity for the baddies.

It'll all unfold in the next 20+ chapters you'll all have to read! –evil laugh-

I don't have time to respond to everyone's reviews this time, but I just want to thank everyone, old and new readers, for your support and appreciation. I read each review maybe two or three times (because I'm a dork) and pay close attention to every word you say. It all means a lot to me!


	25. Chapter 25: Samus

**Part Two **

**Chapter Twenty Five: Samus**

It hadn't taken more than five minutes to reach the cave that Pit had spotted out. It was located in an area that was densely populated with trees, and as such, casted many shadows upon the rich green grass and made the area much cooler.

The cave itself was slighted angled downwards, so it seemed like one was actually heading into the earth. Rocks covered in moss and lichen made up the structure of the shelter. It was serene and tranquil looking. Somewhat of a vacation out of the ordinary.

As Samus and everyone else moved deeper into the cave, they realized it had powder-like brown dirt that felt soft enough to sleep on. There were a few large rocks here and there, jutting out and clogging the otherwise clear area, but it wasn't enough to be a problem.

"Alright," Prince Marth, the tall and lean swordsmen with the short bluish hair spoke out, breaking the silence from everyone's curiosity.

"This looks good enough, and I'm sure you'll all agree. I don't want to sound like a ringleader, but it would make sense to come together and decide on tasks as we get ready for the night. You know, getting lumber and food. That kind of thing."

"Right," Fox said, leaning against a rock with his arms crossed.

"Food would be nice," Link said, still looking around attentively.

"I'll go outside and look for some food. Maybe settle down at the river near the ship to get whatever this planet has to offer," Snake jutted in, passing by everyone and leaving the cave.

"I'll go with him," Ike stated, following Snake off.

"Okay. Well it looks like we could have some kind of protein tonight, with whatever they find. Um, Samus?" Marth asked.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"You led us here, so I think it would be a good idea if you went with those two outside. I'm hoping you have some good idea of what this place is like…?" he questioned her again.

"Sure, alright," she muttered, stalking off. She didn't really want to do anything at the moment. Especially not hunting for food.

As she walked away from the cave, she could hear Marth talking to everyone else:

"I'll go look for some firewood. If anyone would like to accompany me, it'd be a great help…"

His voice trailed off into silence once out of range.

Samus could see Ike and Snake up ahead, with the swordsmen's cape flowing behind him. Both of their headbands bounced off of their shoulders and into the air with each step they took.

The bounty hunter could hear them talking in low voices. Their heads were tilted down, as they watched where they stepped.

"Hey!" Samus shouted.

Both of them stopped and glanced at her.

"You'll need my help. I mean, unless you want to give everyone some brutal stomach ailments in the morning," she joked with them.

"How well do you know this place?" Ike shouted at her.

Once she caught up with them, they continued to walk back towards the area where the ship was.

"While I don't have my spaceship with its extensive library of information, I do have a fairly good memory of what's on it. And I know that we do not want to try and eat from any of the flora here," Samus explained.

"When you visit as many places as I have, you begin to see a lot of similarities. And the basic fact is that poison and other harmful things are most often in the plants. Not so much in animals," she finished.

"So, we're in the clear? Just find something that moves on its own and we can kill it?" Snake asked.

"Uhh, yeah Snake. Just make sure you do something that won't bite you in the ass, if you know what I mean," Samus reciprocated.

Snake let out a small chuckle before walking away from her and through some thick brush. Ike, still standing there, turned to Samus. He stared at her, and she looked back. There was a long moment of silence, and then she began to feel awkward.

"…what is it?" she inquired.

"I…I was just thinking. Thinking about what we all are going to do now," Ike turned away from her and sat down on a good sized rock.

Putting his elbows on his knees and hiding his face in his hands, he sighed.

"Well…we'll all have to come up with a plan soon. As complicated as everything has become, things aren't completely hopeless. I've worked against worse odds," she said, thinking back onto every mission she carried out alone.

"Yeah…yeah…hope…Easy to say, hard to truly feel. I know that if I didn't have _any _hope than I'd probably end up dead. But to say that I really feel like there is honest to god hope for all of us…I just don't know…" Ike rubbed his forehead and collapsed his arms across his knees. Hunched over, he buried his head in his arms.

Samus didn't know what to say. She wasn't too familiar with Ike, and so she didn't know how to deal with him.

"Ike, you don't-" she began.

"Samus," he said, interrupting her. "I just need to think it out myself. I have some…issues I need to resolve."

She nodded her head as Ike continued to sit there.

"I'll be at the creek," she told him.

Walking away from him, Samus wondered what he meant by 'issues.' Sure, everyone had issues, things that they carried with only themself, but for someone as mysterious as Ike, he seemed more forthcoming about it. Perhaps there was something he was keeping to himself, that he really wanted to tell to someone, but couldn't…

Reaching the creek, Samus bent down near the edge and looked into the water. The reflection of herself showed dirt on her face. Realizing that she hadn't washed her face in days, she brought her hands down into the water and splashed water onto her cheeks. The coolness of the water felt crisp and refreshing.

It was startling and even made her laugh out loud. As she splashed more water across her skin, she felt an odd sense of giddiness welling up in her. And she began to laugh more.

What was causing this? Samus didn't know why she was acting so bizarre, and she didn't really care. She was content in enjoying the moment.

Cupping her hands to take a sip of the water, she realized that there things swimming in it. They were oblong, with fins all around their body, beating against the dirt at the bottom. Although they were swimming, it seemed more like crawling against the surface of the bottom.

Seeing an opportunity to bring back food, Samus contemplated on how she would catch these things. In the water, they had the advantage.

But then something crossed her mind. Her paralyzer.

If she just cracked the whip of her paralyzer into the water, the fish would be sufficiently stunned or electrocuted to be collected at the top.

Grasping her gun, she unlocked the top hatch. Activating the extending whip, she snapped the gun backwards and then forward. The yellow plasma beam flew forwards and crackled against the surface of the creek. Sparks of electricity flashed in the water.

Samus turned the beam off and crouched near the edge. Looking into the water, she hoped to see the fish-like creatures' surface.

"Is that how intend on feeding everyone?" a voice from behind her said.

"Huh?"

Turning around, Samus saw Link walking towards her.

"Oh…hahaha, yeah. Why make things any harder than they are?" she asked him.

"No kidding…" Link responded.

There was a pause. Samus turned around back to the creek and noticed that at least one fish was floating there. It had purple and black iridescent scales. Seeing how bright and vivid they were reminded her of the winged creature that had descended upon them at the League.

…Ridley.

Shaking her head, she tried to not think about him…her arch nemesis.

Why…? Why did he have to be alive…? She asked herself. Shaking her head again, Samus wanted to get the thought of him out of her head. She wouldn't want to have to think of him again until they would meet face to face. As she was hoping…

"So…Link. What's your task?" she tried to make some small talk.

"I'm supposed to be gathering firewood, but there was enough of us to do that. And then I saw you here, so I decided to come over," he plainly put it.

Samus' stomach dropped. She could feel her face turning slightly red. Embarrassed, she brought a hand up to her temples to rub them, hoping it would hide her redness.

The fact that he decided to come over just because she was there, made her think about him holding her hand back on the Pelican. Why had he done that?

There was certainly something strange developing between her and Link.

There couldn't be a solid reason for this, but something seemed to be falling together. As if materializing from nowhere…Perhaps it was the extreme circumstances…maybe it was how Samus had felt concern for Link when he was missing…And the concern might have transformed into something more.

But why was Link reciprocating this? He was the one acting more obviously, after all.

She began to think about whether or not to ask him why he had grabbed her hand. And then she began to think that she was probably reading too much into this, and that Link had accidently gripped her hand, thinking it was the armrest.

"So…" Link began, walking closer to her, as the two remained silent with each other. "Why don't you try doing that again? We could use a lot more food. Especially if this is one of our last stops."

"…What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"You know what I mean. If we have to carry out the final task," he explained.

"Final task…?" she questioned.

There was a momentary pause.

"Is there something I'm missing…?" Samus said, feeling confused about what Link was talking about.

"Well, I know that we'll all have to formulate some kind of plan if we hope to restore our reputation in this galaxy, and exonerate ourselves from the title of criminals. And I've made up my mind on what I'm going to do, at the least," he told her.

"And what's that?" she asked.

"Kill Ganondorf."

…

"You say it like it's that easy," Samus spoke, wondering what this new rashness was about.

"I'm not going to get any more entangled up in this. I don't want any more of us to be in danger. I cannot afford to see or hear of another death or tragedy. There is a planet I consider home, that might not even be inhabitable by now," Link began.

"In my heart, I feel like there is nothing more for me to do but return to Hylia. That was all I could think of in my prison cell," he finished, looking down towards the ground.

Samus sighed, wondering how to react. She considered it to be a personal and heavy topic to Link. To talk about his time on the Phendrana Drifts must be hard, she thought. So she decided to avoid the issue, and just be pragmatic.

"It's one thing to kill Ganondorf, it's another to get him right. Get him in the way that would show the entire galaxy that he was the bad guy, and that you were wrongfully accused," she explained.

"Yes, I know."

"Just remember that we've all got something to overcome. Once our stay on Ia-Ves is through, I'll have to confront the SPC…or rather, Ridley," Samus quietly said, turning back to the river and readying her paralyzer again.

"You mean that purple reptilian beast that nearly killed us at the League?" Link asked her.

"Yes."

"Alone..?" he inquired.

"Yes," Samus said, whipping the surface of the creek, causing more fish to float to the top.

"…Oh…" Link stated, before turning his back to her.

Bending over the creek, Samus collected the floating fish. She turned to look at Link, who seemed to be off in his own thoughts.

"Well, I think this should be enough for now. Snake and Ike should be getting some food too, and I don't want to kill more than I can carry," she told Link, bundling all the dead creatures into her arms as she began to walk away from the creek.

"Wait-" Link blurted, grabbing her arm and stopping her.

Samus, not expecting it, was so shocked that she dropped all the fish. Her face was poised in a startled expression as it turned to look at Link's. His was that of concern.

"I'll…I'll come with you," Link said.

"Yeah…uh sure. Just help me pick these things back up."

"No," he began. "I want to come with you. I want to help you."

"I…am not getting you right now," she responded, clearly confused.

"Samus, I want to help you…get rid of that thing. That thing you call 'Ridley,'" he told her, his voice becoming softer.

"But what about Ganondorf? If you were to come with me, that would only delay your return to Hylia and I thought that-" but before she could finish, Link cut her off.

"Well…I mean…if you are…since you said…" Link fumbled with his words. As he did, his right hand, which had been holding onto Samus's elbow the whole time, began to drift downwards, moving along her arm towards her hand.

Samus looked down at it and watched, as if wondering what was going to happen next.

"I…well…to be honest, I shouldn't be making any plans right now. I should wait to hear what everyone else has to say," Link said rather abruptly, pulling his arm away before it could touch her hand. He immediately bent down to pick up the fish that Samus had dropped.

And so, the two of them walked back to the cave, in almost complete silence. Samus couldn't help but think about what Link had done back there. It wasn't so much the obvious change of heart he had about what his plans were, that seemed to suggest he felt something for her. But rather, it was the way he was acting.

The way he had touched her seemed to say a lot more than his own words could spell out. And as they walked back in near silence, she couldn't help but feel this urge to ask him about why he had grabbed her hand back on the Pelican Dropship. She was a frank and honest person, but somehow she continued to dodge this desire within her to ask Link the truth.

And this in itself began to make her realize the truth about how she felt. The truth about why she was holding back.

Upon returning to the cave, Samus could see inside that a fire had been built closer to the exit for ventilation purposes. Fox, Falco, Peach, Marth, Ike, Zelda, Snake, and Pit were all huddled around the fire, cooking something strange over it. Some of them were dozing off because of the warmth of the flames, and yet others sat there with a glazed and weary expression.

Samus noted that Master Chief was nowhere to be found, even though the sun was nearly completely set.

"Where's the Chief?" she asked, walking around everyone as Snake and Zelda cleared a spot between each other to allow Samus some room.

"He received a message from Cortana. Something about the ship and its radar…" Snake said, his voice trailing off when he saw the food she had brought.

"Nothing too serious I hope," the bounty hunter responded, pushing a few sharpened sticks that laid near the fire into the center of each fish.

"Nah…can't be anything serious. I mean, how could it be? Our whole experience over the past few days has just been one moment of hilarity to the next! Wouldn't-" Falco was mouthing off, as he rested back to back against Fox.

"Hey, shut it," Fox interrupted. "Your sorry excuse as the role of anti-hero has gone on poorly and for too long-"

"What!? Anti-hero?" Falco said angrily, raising his voice. "I'm not just a literary device, for god's sake. Can't a bird just blow off some steam once in a while? Hell, I've gone from running for my life from a gigantic flying dinosaur, to picking sticks from a forest. Come on, you _have_ to see the problem there…"

"I think it would be great if there wasn't any arguing on," Peach muttered with a slight air of superiority, as if trying to slyly slip that in between the two arguing. "And Samus, I wouldn't worry a thing. Let's just ignore all of our misfortunes for a moment, and just enjoy the hidden beauty in spending a night under the stars in this cave, yes?"

Samus, having ignored the entire conversation that had been going on, continued to cook the fish. She especially didn't care about what Peach had to say. Seeing the frills and countless layers on the woman's overtly feminine dress only reminded Samus of why she was always so mistreated as a female bounty hunter. Because she didn't fit the mold of the ideal woman. And Peach was that mold.

"Hey, quiet down everyone," Zelda interrupted them all from their arguing and sleep-deprived chatter.

"What is it?" Snake asked.

"Shh!" the Hylian princess responded.

Everyone took note of her actions and silenced themselves. Listening in, all they could hear was the crackling of the food over the fire.

After a while, the impatience was too much, and Falco couldn't take it.

"What? What is it?" the blue bird asked aloud.

"Shhhhush!" Zelda reiterated.

And then they all heard it. Footsteps.

Everyone braced themselves for what was approaching. Some of them even got up to a crouching position should they have to run.

As the footsteps got closer and closer, they heard a voice.

"Everyone get down!" it cried.

Emerging from the bushes and from the darkness was Master Chief.

"Cortana's picked up an unknown spacecraft. We need to put this fire out and move further into this cave, now!" he instructed them all.

"Oh fuck me," Peach muttered, putting one hand to her mouth. She had, after all, just been proved wrong, as there was certainly something to be worried about now.

But as the picture perfect princess uttered those three words, it made Samus realize something new.

Perhaps Peach wasn't your typical woman.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Yeah, Peach. She says what she wants, when she wants. I don't care if you think that is out of character. I am just so sick of her stereotypical personality of either extreme haughty bitch, or delicate and fruffy innocent girl.

So she is neither in this story.

And um, yeah Link and Samus have a moment. It's developing alright, give it some time. Love doesn't blossom over one longing look into each others' eyes. No, it takes some pushing and shoving. xD

Now for some more action. This will only be a short little recovery for our heroes.

**Pinnacle: **Thanks for the lovely review! Mario will make an appearance…maybe. I dunno yet. It's just hard to stick an Italian plumber into all of this…I don't know why. I mean, I can stick birds and foxes, but not a plumber. xD

**Bankai179: **Thanks! 3

**NintendoGeek01: **I've brought you more because that other chapter was ridiculously short.

**Waltz of a Supernova: **Yeah, I don't want Zelda to be suicidal. She's a strong gal, but she's not a brick wall either! And I'll try to keep the smut as tasteful as possible. (I almost put tastless….xD) It won't be romance novel-esque either. Uh-uh. No such use of words like "velvet folds" or "his 'length'" in this one!

**Doombringer: **Hey, no problem!! D

**Seraph Dragon: **Yep, yep, yep. Zelda can't always be the brains. I believe she can stand as a much more believable character if she shows just a little vulnerability without making her too OOC.

**Alberto4395: **Dun worry about Falcon. I got his fate lined up.


	26. Chapter 26: Snake

**Part Two**

**Chapter Twenty Six: Snake**

Everyone had moved into the back of the cave, waiting in silence for what was perceived as a threat. Hidden behind rock formations that grew bigger as one moves deeper into the cave, they waited.

And waited.

Snake, who had been trained in the arts of stealth, wondered how long they would all keep this up. He could stand by for hours, but with a restless group mixed with the impulsive and the slow, only time would tell how long the silence would be kept.

"What are we going to do about the ship? If it's found, then whoever it is will know for sure that we are in this area!" Link whispered aloud.

"Keep the thoughts to yourself. Unless you plan on taking one for the team," Snake whispered more quietly to the Hylian.

On one side of the cave were Snake, Link, Samus, Pit, and Marth. On the other were Zelda, Peach, Ike, Fox, Falco, and Master Chief.

Everyone could hear the sound of a ship flying overhead and then landing. Some of them flinched in reaction to the approaching threat. Others seemed to hold their breath tighter.

Snake only gripped his 9 mm harder.

It wasn't long before the sound of someone approaching could be heard. And that's when all other sound disappeared, and the crumbling of leaves and the sifting of dirt from the feet of what was assumed was only one person was echoing in the cold air.

It was approaching, getting ever closer and closer.

Snake kept thinking to himself, wondering how the hell this person or thing knew they were over here. After all, it seemed rather immediate that their location was found.

"Hello?"

A voice called out. A human voice.

Everyone shot each other quick and confused glances. Should they respond? Was this a trick?

"Master Chief? I know you are here. Or at the least, just you. That Pelican Dropship doesn't hide anything…"

By now the voice was familiar. It had a very noticeable accent. One that was a mix of some kind of flashy action hero and the rasp of a man.

Snake, still preferring to wait to see the person, even as it was becoming increasingly darker, stood his ground. But Master Chief did otherwise.

The hulking seven foot tall man stepped out from behind his cover and began to walk towards the exit of the cave. Some hushed words were exchanged between the groups. Everyone wondered whether to stop the man or let him go out into the open.

"Douglas Falcon, I assume?" the Chief's voice spoke out, desiring of little bullshit.

At the mention of that name, everyone seemed to fall out from behind their hiding spots, surprised themselves that Captain Falcon was truly the person standing outside.

Snake, following behind Link, Samus, Pit, and Marth, moving out forward to where Master Chief was. The other group from the other side was doing the same.

"How did you know we were here?" Spartan 117 asked the Captain,

"Common sense. From what I experienced back at the League, I figured you'd all be in hiding and this cave wasn't too far from main ship," he explained.

"But how did you know what planet we were on?" Snake asked him. He figured that Samus had picked a place that was less traveled on, and shot her an inquisitive look because it seemed as though she was wrong.

Samus just shrugged and nodded her head.

"This might be a long story, if you really want to know how I got here," Falcon began.

"Tell us, we've got time," Ike stated.

"Alright, well…after departing from all of you before the major assembly at the League, I had proceeded to exit the entire place, to simply return to my System. Unforunately, getting past the elevator lobby didn't seem to be an option, as security guards of the League would not let me go-"

"_Not_ let you go? How can that be? You are not a representative and therefore were not required to be there…" Peach cut in.

"Yep, that's true. And so I waited around and shot a few glances through open doors to listen in on Wolf's big announcement, thinking perhaps there was protocol that nobody could exit or enter. And it didn't take long for me to realize there was a larger conspiracy, when I saw SPC pirates manifesting out of thin air. And wouldn't you know, that before that massive winged terror flew through the dome, several representatives were being allowed to leave, escaping all the carnage?" he said, his voice becoming more angry.

"In the ensuing chaos, I tried to leave with these delegates that were permitted to. But I was blocked…again. I wasn't able to get through and escape until those space pirates began killing the guards, but at that point I had to defend myself from two separate entities," he finished.

"So," Snake began, knowing fully what was going on as he was accustomed to such trickery and deceit. "There was a protocol not allowing anyone to come or go. But that would depend on whose side you were on. Wolf obviously had the entire thing planned, and any delegate that was in cahoots with him was allowed to leave with the skin on their backs."

"But there was another side to this. Any delegate on Wolf's side who hadn't escaped yet, was on their own. And the security guards that were told to prevent who goes and stays were not made aware of the plan of the SPC coming in, and were thusly killed. This keeps Wolf's appearance as the good guy under attack, while keeping his friends on his side…" Snake explained to everyone.

"Yeah, pretty much," Falcon added, nodding his head.

"So what are _we _going to do? How are we going to outsmart Wolf and his cronies?" Pit asked, his wings fluttering in anxiety.

"It would be a good time to decide exactly that right now," Samus put in.

"Well now that we have two ships, we can split up into two teams, depending on what everyone needs to do," Master Chief said.

"Assuming that Captain Falcon is going to help us. I can remember you not wanting to get involved," Zelda said, turning to Falcon.

"Hey, I almost lost my head back there at the League. And I can obviously see the bigger picture now," Falcon paused, and crossed his arms.

"I'm in."

"Great, can we get back to sleep now?" Falco asked, yawning.

"Jeez man, it's like you never stop," Fox annoyingly remarked.

"Can't blame me for speaking my mind," the blue bird mumbled.

"What was that?" Fox quickly inquired.

"Look, I can't be the only one who can't keep their eyelids open!" he shamelessly admitted.

"I agree. We'd all be better off sleeping now. And if you can't do that, mull over your plans for tomorrow," Marth said, turning around and moving into the back of the cave.

Everyone else seemed to slowly follow, their eyes readjusting the dark shadows that slowly encompassed them. It would be a long night for some, sifting and repositioning themselves on the powdery brown dirt of the cave floor. And for the rest, they would find themselves resting comfortably in one spot, completely forgetting all the troubles at the moment for a simple and peaceful rest.

Snake moved around to the former fire pit and relit lightly to allow the warmth to help rest everyone. He then found a spot between Princess Zelda and a rock, leaning against and shutting his eyes.

- - - -

As the first light of the day began to break across the horizon and slowly brighten the cave, Snake's eyes gradually opened. Shifting his head to the side, he felt the knots in his neck and the pain in his back. He might have slept all night, but his muscles suggested otherwise.

With a refreshed mind and a weary body, he slowly began to stand up. Looking down at everyone, he saw the motionless bodies of sleeping comrades. All except for one.

"Zelda…" he murmured, wondering where she would have wandered off to so early. She had been acting rather closed off. Knowing that Rauru had died, it only made sense to Snake as to why she was.

Looking around to see if she was nearby, he also realized a missing Master Chief. So, he decided to break the morning with a cigarette and then look for the two. As he lit up the non filtered stick of tobacco, he felt the pain of his pupils as the eye muscles flexed to close them in the ever brightening daylight.

Stepping outside of the cave, he immediately saw Master Chief standing off the side, pressing a few buttons on his right arm.

"What's going on?" Snake asked, after they both nodded to each other.

"I'm checking to see if Cortana picked up on any other spacecraft in the sky while we slept. I'm hoping that Captain Falcon did not have anyone tailing him," the Spartan spoke.

"Right," Snake muttered, walking away.

"Oh, umm…have you seen-"

"Zelda?" Master Chief quickly said. He then pointed in the direction that the Hylian had wandered off to.

"Right," Snake murmured. He was glad to hear someone knew where she was. It wasn't imperative that he look for her, as his stomach was urging to be filled with food.

And beyond a grove of trees, there was a run off where the river by the Pelican was. Snake walked up towards it and looked into the water. He thought he saw some fish in it, but there was a darker blob of something moving around.

Leaning in closer, he tried to get a better look, wondering, partially hoping, that it was a big piece of meat waiting to be caught.

Reaching his left hand out to try and touch it, he was immediately shocked to see it submerge, splashing water all over his face and arms.

And _it _wasn't just it. Princess Zelda emerged from the river, with a wide eyed and scared expression upon her face. She was so alarmed by Snake's presence that she fell backwards into the water.

Snake fell backwards onto his rear on the grass.

"Snake!" Zelda shouted, coughing and clearing her throat.

"Zelda? What are you doing in the river?" he asked.

"Bathing…?" she remarked, as if it was obvious.

"With your clothes on…?"

Zelda smiled. "Ha, well, I figured something like this would happen."

"Oh…shucks…" Snake jokingly said.

He watched her get out of the water, with her royal gown draping heavily against her, weighed down by the water it had soaked up. With it clinging to her body, he realized how tiny she was. It seemed unusual. Was she just naturally skinny or were the times just wearing on her?

Zelda simply ignored his stares and began squeezing out the water from her clothes.

"So…" she began, glancing over at him and then quickly looking away as their eyes met.

"What are you going out here? Hungry?"

She walked over to him and sat down where he had fallen.

"Yeah. And I thought you were a big, hulking fish," he replied.

Zelda burst out in uncharacteristic laughter.

"Hehehe, I don't know whether that's a compliment or not," she brought her knees up to her chest and rested an elbow against them. Cupping a cheek in one hand, she turned towards him and smiled, still chuckling.

"I'm glad you still have a sense of humor through all of this," she told him.

"I really didn't mean to be funny," Snake added, with a half smile.

"Oh…hehehe," Zelda continued.

There was a long pause. Snake took in the sun and rested. He was still hungry but was waiting for the right moment to get up and look for food.

"Snake…?" Zelda broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Have you thought about what you are going to do when we leave this planet?"

"Yes. I know what I have to do. What about yourself?" he asked.

Zelda shrugged and bit her lower lip.

"I'm going back to Hylia," she said.

"What?" Snake blurted, alarmed by her decision. "You can't! It's overrun by the Flood. It wouldn't be safe for anyone!"

She nodded her head.

"I had a dream Snake. Last night I dreamt I was back on Hylia. But the place wasn't the same. Not at all. The fires were still burning and the moans and groans still echoed across the flames. But something out of the darkness gave me hope, believe it or not."

"What was it?" he inquired.

"It was a woman. Dark and unafraid, she crossed the fires that blocked me from entering the city surrounding my castle. Her arm reached out to me. But as it came nearer, and stretched unnaturally from her body, I realized it was gigantic. It then grabbed me."

"Then what?"

"And then I woke up."

"So what do you think it means?" Snake asked her.

"It means that I must return to Hylia," Zelda simply stated.

"How? How does that give you enough information to make such an insane decision to return to your home planet, because honestly, I don't get," Snake was getting irritated. He did not want Zelda to die or risk dying. A lot of what everyone did was for her. Her and Link.

"I can't explain it. You would have to have felt it and saw what I saw," she explained.

"But that's not good enough, Zelda. All of us are here to help you. Nevermind the fact that we all have an initiative on our own. I mean…I've felt that…we've all felt…I don't know…"

Snake, frustrated in his inability to speak eloquently, got up and began to walk away. He felt like he had perhaps said to much, gave away too much about himself. He had gotten worked up over nothing.

Why did he get so irritated at Zelda's decision…? He himself didn't fully know yet. And all he felt was complete stupidity for his previous actions.

"Hey, you two," a voice shouted out.

Coming towards Snake and Zelda was Ike.

"Everyone's up and we're all ready to come together for a plan," the swordsmen said.

When Zelda and Snake didn't immediately react, Ike became pissed.

"Come on, we're all ready as ever to leave this damn place," he angrily remarked.

Snake wondered what was making Ike snap. He had noticed that the man was acting strangely lately. He was strongly keeping to himself and wanting to be alone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Alright, I have to admit. I got sick of people asking what the pairings were, so I jumped ahead in this shipping and added some SnakexZelda to the mix. So, there it is. Samus/Link and Snake/Zelda.

Case closed.

Oh, and maybe some Fox/Falco on a very close brotherly level. Or if people request it, I could make them closer than that. Anyway, they snap at each other like siblings. xD

So, doing Snake and Zelda is reinvigorating my desire to do this story. So it helps me. I love the two together. They mesh on an oddly comfortable level. And barely anyone else has written a developed romance of the two so that's why I am including it. )D

(leers at all the Link/Zelda fans)


	27. Chapter 27: Ike

**Part Two**

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Ike**

It had been irking for the whole time since he had returned to the League, and then consequently when everyone, including himself, had fled to this small planet. Ike had felt like there stay here was drawn out for far too long. What was the necessity of staying together, clustered into a convenient package for their foes to easily crush?

Of course, this heightened state of impatience and aggression might not have been Ike's fault completely. Ever since the day when he had been cursed by that woman of Arachnida, he had become more tense and irritable. As if perhaps the momentary anatomical change from man to wolf was becoming more than just a physical transformation. Maybe he was earning more than a safe share of aggression and instinct from such a beast.

But his impatience with staying with these people was partially from his worries of transforming in front of everyone. He could not let that happen, under any circumstance. He could not trust how they would deal with it, and he was worried of how much or lack of control he would have. It was all due to several precarious assumptions he was making, but such things were drilling through his mind as of late.

And while everyone else continued to discuss at length about what their possible plans were, and how they would synch with everyone elses', Ike could not help but tap his foot, and his fingers, as they rested on his arms in a folded position. He knew what he had to do, and it mattered not how it would work with the others. He would simply get a ride to Arachnida.

It wasn't something Ike had told Soren. In fact, he had not talked to Soren in a while. It could not be helped though. If there were radio transmissions passing through the atmosphere of this planet, it would increase the risk of detection. And Ike wasn't going to do that to take care of something personal.

The mercenary was going to return to that desert planet, in hopes of finding that woman and reversing the curse. He had no idea if confronting her would help him, but he just wanted to return. If she created the problem, he had a feeling she could undo the problem. It would just take a certain amount of persuasion…

"Alright, we'll split into two separate groups according to the convenience of two separate routes and how they mesh with everyone's plans," Marth began, summarizing the entire conversation.

"In the first group, riding with Captain Falcon, will be myself, Peach, Link, Ike, and Samus. In the next group, riding with Master Chief, will be Pit, Snake, Fox, Zelda, and Falco. Does this sound right, everyone?"

They all nodded.

"Good. Let's split now. Lingering here isn't doing us, nor this galaxy any good. I wish all the luck in this universe to everyone in successfully completing their plans with their skin's still on their backs."

Marth's words were short and direct. As a prince, he was well versed in eloquence and political speeches, being able to make a simple topic into one speech that could amass three hours worth of time. But he knew this was neither the time nor place.

Everyone said a few last words before departing. Ike stopped at Zelda to wish her the usual good luck and good bye.

As they locked eyes, he noticed she was frowning at him.

"What?" he asked.

Caught off guard by his bluntness, Zelda lost the former expression in exchange for a new one of confusion.

"Nothing. I was just going to say good bye and good luck…that's all," she said.

"Oh…yeah…well…" Ike muttered.

"What's been going on with you? You've acted so strange since we reunited at the League. I feel like there's something wrong with you that you're not telling anyone," Zelda explained to him, in a more hushed tone so others wouldn't notice.

As if she read his mind, Ike quickly tried to think of something as an excuse. It was true that he was hiding something from everyone that bothered him, but it wasn't like he was about to tell anyone.

"It's just…everything," he quickly stated.

"Everything…huh?" Zelda did not appear to believe him. It was hard for him to explain his unusual distress to someone like Zelda, who had the entire galaxy against her and seemed much more composed as of lately than him.

"Yeah…it's all just kind of hitting me now. I guess now that we're all departing…it's just that…well…I don't know…" he tried to pretend like it was overwhelming.

"Ike," Zelda looked closely at him. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But when we all reunite again, make sure you make it in one piece…okay?"

Ike nodded. Although nothing was certain of what would happen to him along the way, he was determined to see everyone again. And before anyone had made plans, there was a general agreement of the day when they would reconvene and decide on a more concise strategy, all together.

It was arranged that everyone would come together at Marth's vacation palace, hidden in a ravine of an undisclosed location on Altea. Supposedly, as the prince had said, nobody but his close advisors knew where it was located, and it could not be accessed by foot, nor by spacecraft. Only those with the permitted code could enter the hidden garage, and land their spacecraft. Otherwise, they'd be a wandering ship.

As Ike watched Zelda walk away from him and enter the Pelican, he felt an eager longing to run over to her and just tell everything. He wanted to let her know that he feared he would be forever cursed as a dangerous changeling, perhaps killed by a friend who did not know otherwise. He wanted her to know that he was uncertain of the repercussions of his decision to consort with Ganondorf and his cronies. But most of all, he wanted to hear three words from her. Three special words that would bring them close again. Three words that would rekindle their special relationship that he had lost with her, not too long ago back on Planet Hylia…

The simple statement that had led him to go to such great lengths to infiltrate the laguz on Tellius. The phrase that would justify why he made a deal with that Prion bounty hunter who was after Zelda, just so it would help him protect her…

Three words…

_I trust you…_

It was the trust between the two that had been broken when Ike's jealously and rash behavior led him to challenge Link to a duel back on Planet Hylia. And when Link was seriously injured, Zelda made it a point to Ike that she forsaked any part of their relationship that they had build up together. That she no longer considered him a part of her life.

And while they now talked to one another, Ike still felt there was a void between the two. He wanted her to say that he trusted him, and he would no longer feel guilty for what he had done.

"Ike!" Link's voice shouted out to him. "We're leaving!"

And with that, he turned away from the Pelican, and climbed aboard Captain Falcon's spacecraft.

As they ascended and passed through the atmosphere, Ike removed himself from the cockpit and went to the back room. Hoping nobody would follow, he rested himself on a seat and hunched over, putting his elbows on the middle table.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he let his mind go blank.

But it seemed as though that wasn't going to happen…

"Well, I have nowhere else to stay or nothing much to do while everyone is finishing their personal projects-" Peach said, with a somewhat irritated tone.

"When you say it like that, you make it sound as though it's unimportant. I am sure that what Samus, Snake, Zelda, and the others need to do is imperative to all of our plans. And I had stated before that you can remain with me at the Ravine Palace. I'll be commanding my army and advisors from that station, and I have a feeling that someone as experienced as you could be instrumental in our diplomatic efforts to end the war with Tellius," the blue haired man explained.

"Oh, Ike, I didn't see you there," Marth said.

Ike just turned away from them and hung his head more.

"I hope we aren't being a bother. Peach and I just wanted a place to talk away from everyone else," the prince remarked.

There was an awkward silence until he spoke again.

"So…if you don't mind…"

"I get it," Ike said. As he stood up, he contemplated why _he_ had to leave. Why couldn't they just find a different area? Stopping at the door, he felt more and more angry about it.

But just before he let his mouth run, Ike stopped himself. Why was he getting so angry over this? What was happening to him?

And then he felt it. A pang in his stomach.

"No…" he grunted aloud. "Not now…!"

"Ike…?" Peach asked.

Sweat quickly began to trickle down his creased forehead. His muscles twitched all over him.

"No…please…!" Ike cried out. Part fury and part sincere want to not transform into the beast. "It can't happen! No, it can't HAPPEN!"

"Alright, calm down!" Peach raised her voice at him.

"Ike, we can leave if you want. We don't mind you staying here. It's just that Peach and I don't know our way around much so…" Marth tried to explain.

"No…" Ike groaned. "That's not it…"

Collapsing to the ground, Ike clutched his chest. There was a tightening in his chest. He was panicking more than when he first transformed, as he was more afraid and upset.

"I…can't…breathe…" he muttered.

"What is it, Ike?" a now more concerned Marth said.

The mercenary could hear the two walking over to him.

And as they neared, the white fur ruptured through his skin.

There was a gasp coming from both Peach and Marth.

"What's going on!?" she cried.

Ike could feel a hand reaching down and touching his shoulder. It tugged on him and twisted his entire body around. Just as he met face to face with Marth, the true transformation began.

His mouth and nose jutted unnaturally forward, creating a ghastly sight.

"AHHH!!" cried Marth, throwing himself backwards and onto the floor. As soon as Peach saw Ike, she screamed out louder than ever.

It was just as Ike had feared.

And as Ike fully turned into the beast, he saw Marth standing in front of Peach, sword in hand ready to protect her.

While Ike felt as though he was more in control, the aggression he perceived from Marth, however, was stirring the rage within himself, uncontrollably. He wanted nothing more than to tell the swordsmen to put his weapon away, as that would ease the situation, but nothing could be done about that.

Instead, Ike lurched forward and let out a thunderous howl. It had a mournful and sad tone to it. If Peach and Marth were intuitive enough, he assumed they would understand that this situation was not Ike's fault. That he was woefully cursed and was not a true threat to them.

But the two only flinched and backed further away.

The door to the cockpit opened, and the three directed their attention to who was entering.

Link and Samus walked in, and immediately drew their own weapons. Ike suddenly felt the aggression within him rise.

"What the hell is this beast doing on board…?" Samus shouted.

"How did it get here…?" Link questioned.

"It's…Ike," Peach explained, still backed up behind Marth.

"Ike?" Samus said in disbelief.

"Yeah. There's really no time for me to explain how this happened, but here's the current situation!" the prince unhappily remarked.

"Well, then what the hell is everyone doing with their weapons drawn?" Link asked.

They all stopped and turned to Link. While Ike was huddled in the corner, baring his teeth and growling, Link put away his weapon and walked over. It was as though he knew exactly what to do.

As he approached Ike, the white wolf immediately put his ears flat against his head. His tail dropped between his legs and his body became more hunched. He felt less angry and sense of calm came over him.

Link leaned downwards and rested his hand upon Ike's furry head. The wolf did not retaliate.

"Link…be careful!" Marth told him.

"You should be the one who is more careful," Link advised. "That is, unless you put away your sword."

At the suggestion of that, Ike watched everyone put away their weapons. Feeling there was no longer a need to defend himself, hi felt the hostility within him dissipate. Looking up at Link, he paused. Then his tail began to wag.

"Let's just say we're even now," Link whispered to him.

Ike nodded, and then moved around the Hylian. Peach, Marth, and Samus still flinched as he approached.

"So…Ike…" Marth began, somewhat wondering if he understood him.

Ike quickly turned his attention to Marth, to let him know.

"I guess there's no way for you to respond, but…how exactly did this happen?"

Ike just bared his teeth and growled. Thinking of what had caused this made him angry. And he wanted to let everyone know that perhaps this would show it wasn't his fault.

"Didn't…you say something about going to some…strange planet called Arachnida…?" Peach asked him, walking around Marth and crouching beside Ike. The mercenary quickly moved his head up and down, and then began to pace around her, as if she was leading on a good point.

"I heard a lot of strange legends and tall tales about that place. Something about your condition reminds me of one of them. I can't remember exactly-" Peach said.

"That's right!" Samus cut her off. "But I thought those stories about the desert women were just something drunken low life's shared at a shady bar. I didn't ever believe there was something real about them."

"But…I remember hearing a second part to the stories…" the blond bounty began. "There's supposedly a way to reverse these curses…but you know…who knows if they're true…"

"What is it?" Link inquired.

"You'd have to destroy the very thing that caused the curse," Samus said.

"Alright then," Link said. "Well, I hope everyone doesn't mind a slight change in plans. I'm going to tell Captain Falcon that we're going to make a longer stop at Arachnida."

- - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Yeah, kick-assery coming up with this group. Next chapter on the others maybe tomorrow night…? Hmm…yeah, I'm needing to write the romance finally, dammit, so you might expect a sooner update than what you're used to. I apologize, for this ending was slop. New Silent Hill out and I am in rush to get my horror game on. XD


	28. Chapter 28: Zelda

**Part Two**

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Zelda**

Standing in the cockpit beside Snake, Zelda looked over the shoulders of Fox and Falco, both of whom were piloting the Pelican Drop ship. Master Chief was going through some cargo in the back, and Pit was sitting in a passenger seat off to the left of her.

They had just exited the atmosphere, and were now staring off into space, littered with hundreds of small, bright lights. Looking over it all, it made Zelda wonder. Could there be a new place for all of them to go to? Could they leave behind this galaxy and find a new one that is just as livable as this one?

She knew that there were some good odds that another galaxy would warmly welcome them in, but it was a matter of searching for one. That could take a lifetime and was, as everyone knew, far too dangerous to be so far from home.

Hearing the door behind her open, she turned to see Master Chief walking in. He was holding a metal suitcase.

"I've put together a good collection of weapons that I hope will make good departing gifts for all of you," the man said.

Snake smirked at the proposal.

"I think most of us have our own arsenal, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to take some," he glanced quickly at Zelda.

She barely noticed his suggestion of her taking something, but when she did, she nodded her head 'no.'

"Sorry, I've never touched a gun, and never will," the Hylian responded.

"Nor have I," Pit began. "And where I come from, it isn't necessary."

The angel tilted his head back, motioning to the arrow strapped to his back. "It may look primitive, but don't let that fool you. I've met many a person who thought they had the upper hand, only to end up face down on the ground."

"Ha!" Falco sneered. "Should I be the first to test that story?"

"No…" Fox put in. "Nobody's firing anything or testing anything in this ship. We're not going to put the pressurization at risk, got it?"

Falco just rolled his eyes and turned back to the front of the cockpit.

"I'm going to go in the back to look for something, Master Chief. If you don't mind, there's something in particular I'm in need of," Snake asked the soldier.

Master Chief nodded, and Snake exited the cockpit.

Zelda, beginning to feel that her feet were hurting, thought of leaving the cockpit to go into the passenger wing to strap her self in and sleep for a few hours. But she suddenly realized just how cold this place was. Her travels in space were relatively new, and she kept forgetting just how cold it would get in ships. Even though there were heating mechanisms, it was something that wasted fuel resources and therefore wasn't usually used. That, and if a ship was to pass closely by a star, the entire thing would heat up rapidly.

But, she definitely needed a moment to relax and curl up. Something the dirt floor of a cave did not seem to naturally offer.

Removing herself from the cockpit, Zelda walked past Snake who was rummaging in a storage bin. She continued onwards to the area where everyone had been seated during their escape from the League. Picking one seat, she sat down on it and brought her knees up to her chest.

She pivoted herself to the side, sitting perpendicular to the chair, and put the side of her head against the rather lacking cushion. Closing her eyes, she became more aware of the cold and stale air. No matter. Not even the coldest edges of space could keep the princess in exile from sleeping.

But something else would.

Waking up with a startle, she was surprised to find a blanket draped over her. And, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Snake turning to walk away.

"…Thanks…" she grumbled, with a voice that wasn't ready to vocalize yet.

Snake stopped and nodded. He then began to walk away.

"Uhhh…wait…Snake…?" she suddenly felt more awake from their small interaction. She hadn't had a real conversation with anyone in a while, so she felt the need to have one now.

Snake stopped and turned around.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Zelda asked. It wasn't quite how she wanted the conversation to start, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

"Yeah, I did."

Snake was about to walk away _again_, but the Hylian stopped him.

"Umm…you…never told me what _you're _plans were. I mean, you told me not to go back to Hylia, but I never got the chance to ask you to elaborate on what your plans were."

Snake took a few steps forward. He then decided to sit in the seat next to her, probably anticipating a longer discussion.

"I have to return to Big Blue. That was where I tracked Sniper Wolf to, and that's where the rest of her "affiliates" were operating out of. I don't know if that was a permanent base for them, but nevertheless I must return," he explained.

"I see," Zelda said. "She hurt you, didn't she?"

"Sniper Wolf?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Yeah, but it's nothing I can't get over," Snake said, somewhat despairingly.

The way he said that made Zelda realize something strange about Snake. That he didn't seem to care about his own mortality. And that if there was something about this all that bothered him; it wasn't the risk of his life. It was something more. But Zelda could not pinpoint the reason for the strange tone of his voice.

"What about you? Are you still bent on returning to your planet?" he inquired.

"Yes," Zelda responded firmly.

"Why? And I want a more rational answer this time."

"Because…I'm sorry but…it's just that I've been away for far too long. It almost feels like I'm not the leader of my people anymore. It feels like I have given up on all of them, fleeing for my own sake when millions are suffering. I just need that…confirmation that…my people are hurting. Yes, that sounds completely moronic and sadistic, but I think of them night and day. I think of how much pain they are experiencing, and I am not sharing any of that…" her voice drifted off. There was a strain in her tone, suggesting that there were a number of things that were bothering her, but she couldn't enumerate them all.

She could hear him sigh, as if he could now see her point of view. Though there was still a hint of disagreement with her choice. Zelda wondered why Snake was acting much more concerned about her. When they first met, there was nothing about him that was friendly or personable. He acted as though everything was strictly business.

What now, had caused this change?

"Zelda, you don't have to prove anything. You know what you need to do, it's just been cluttered by all the recent circumstances. I know what it's like to have that happen," he said.

"What do you mean?"

Turning to her so that they would meet eye to eye, he spoke: "I mean that you don't have to travel halfway across the galaxy to risk everything just to re-establish the purpose you have in saving your planet, your people."

Although she knew he was giving her heartfelt advice, he still did not seem to get or remember, about the dream she had.

"I'm sorry Snake, but there's more to it."

"I know. There always is."

She could hear him take a heavy sigh. He then turned his head back to her. Feeling him staring at her, Zelda glanced back.

Then, something completely unexpected happened.

Snake reached his arm out and placed it on her left wrist. Zelda's stomach dropped, for reasons she could not explain, and her heart seemed to skip a beat. She never anticipated this action, but she could not justify how something so simple had caused her to react so strongly.

"Could you light my cigarette, again?" he asked her.

Zelda smiled and all the air escaped her lungs. She had not even realized she was holding it all in until she exhaled.

"Of course," she responded.

Zelda lifted her left hand up, feeling as his moved away from hers. With her palm facing upwards, red, glowing bright dots seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and began to hover upwards away from her skin.

They all culminated into one large, glowing orb that immediately burst into flames. Zelda could feel the heat of the fire hovering above her hand. It wasn't especially pleasant if she kept it there too long, but at this moment, her mind seemed to wander away from the pain.

She watched intently as Snake lowered his cigarette down to her hand and lit it. Her eyes followed as the cigarette was brought up to his mouth, and placed between his lips. As he took a drag, the tip of the stick facing her glowed brightly, with a few embers dropping and disintegrating into nothing. And when she closed her fist and drew away Din's fire, she saw his eyes, of which had been hidden in the brightness of the flame, were watching her back.

And they way they stared back at her were of an intensity that was unexpected. Almost like an archer who was closely studying his far off target…

"I'm…" her voice was soft and sounded almost frightened. "Going to rest now, Snake."

"If you need anything more," her voice now began to sound more confident. "Just let me know."

And with that, she returned to her curled up position in her seat. Drawing up the blanket more snugly around herself, she closed her eyes and could smell the scent of tobacco filling the air.

- - -

_Bleep….Bleep…Bleep…Bleep…!_

"Zelda, get up! Zelda!" Snake's voice cried out.

"Huhhnnnn?" she grumbled, still sleepy and groggy.

_Bleep…Bleep…Bleep…Bleep!_

"Snake?" her voice now became more alarmed. She suddenly realized that the emergency alarm was sounded.

Panicked, she sat up too fast and the blood rushed out of her head. She momentarily lost her vision and stumbled. Snake grabbed onto her shoulders and held her up.

"We're being followed! You've been sleeping through about ten minutes of this, and I finally decided to get you up," he explained.

"Followed by who? How is this happening…?" she cried out.

Snake pulled her towards the cockpit. They stood together in the doorway of it and watched as Fox, Falco, and Master Chief struggled with the present situation. Pit was off to the side, watching it all, and helping when he was needed.

"It's definitely a Wolfen spacecraft," Falco remarked.

"But who?" Fox asked. "I can't tell who it was by this maneuvering. It's unlike any of the four thugs who work with Wolf."

"Maybe they've been instructed not to give away their identity in any way? I mean, who knows! Wolf has such a calculated plan, I wouldn't be surprised if he could get away with this sort of stuff by blaming it on others," Pit called out.

"No matter who it is, this ship isn't ready for another attack," Master Chief began. "We need to find a planet to land on to try and evade this barrage, else we disappear in flurry of shrapnel in space."

"Right," Fox said. "There should be a terrestrial planet up ahead, according to the radar. If we can successfully enter the atmosphere and land, this Wolfen won't be able to attack us."

"Assuming we don't land on a planet allied with Wolf," Falco reminded everyone.

"There's no time to judge," Spartan 117 retorted.

Hitting the thrusters, the Pelican gained more speed as they approached the planet. Snake and Zelda were holding on the edge of the door frame, unsure of what was going to happen.

"Alright," Fox began. "Entering the magnetic field. The sensors are telling me that hypothetically there won't be enough heat generated to completely destroy this ship, so we may proceed with entering the planet."

"Good thing we're relying on hypotheticals," Falco remarked.

"Hold on everyone, he's still on us," Master Chief said.

They could now see the approaching landscape of the planet. There were grassy plains everywhere, with clusters of trees and mountains sparsely located.

"Look for some signs of civilization. The Wolfen will most likely pull back if there will be witnesses to this," Pit stated.

So, instead of landing, they zoomed ahead of the trees, going faster than ever.

In their attempts at find a city of some sort, they made themselves more vulnerable. Here, the Wolfen would have a clear shot of them. And unfortunately, it did.

The ship rocked side to side. Snake and Zelda slammed into each other rather painfully, but they remained holding onto the door frame.

"We can't take another hit! The passenger bay door has been struck too many times to successfully resist another attack!" Falco cried.

And just as he finished saying that, it took another hit.

The entire hatch blew open. As it did, the ship quickly began to decompress, as they had remained at a dangerously high altitude. The wind force kicked up within the Pelican was too much for Zelda and Snake to stay afoot. Both of them immediately dropped to the ground and were pulled backwards.

Zelda managed to grab onto a seat that she had been dragged over to. Snake, who was pulled down the center of the room, managed to grab onto a cord that was whipping around.

But because it was, his body was thrashed up and down, slamming down onto the metal floor. Zelda, blinded by her own hair becoming disheveled and flying across her face, could only hear him crying out each time he hit the ground.

"Ahhhcckkk!" he yelled out. Each time it would become more pained for him to take the hit.

"Snake! Zelda!" Pit's voice cried out. "Hang on!"

The angel was safely guarding himself in the doorway with half his body behind the wall, and the other half looking through.

"Help us!" Zelda screamed. Although she felt she had a good grip on the seat, she was more worried by the sounds of Snake.

Finally getting the hair out of her face, she could see the plight that Snake was in. And it didn't look as though he would overcome it. Each time his body hit the floor, he lost more of his grip and slowly inched his way towards the gaping hole in the back of the ship.

And then the worse came. The ship took another hit. It wasn't as bad as the previous one, but the concussion of it spread through everywhere. The ship rocked up and down.

For Snake, this caused his unsteady grip on the cable to completely loosen.

Zelda watched as his body let go and flew backwards. His body was thrown in such a way that pushed him upwards. And as such, the top of his head grazed the edge of the hole, knocking it forward, and snapping back.

And then, in a matter of a few milliseconds, Snake was sucked out of the hole, and into the sky.

"Noooooo!" Zelda screamed. "Nooo! Nooo! Nooo!"

Her voice continued to cry. Her stomach dropped and she no longer felt her heart beat. Her actions happened without reason.

Letting go of the seat, Zelda felt herself be pulled forward towards the hole. And, as she neared it, she drew her arms back, as if ready to take off.

"Zeldaaaaa!!" Pit cried out, watching it all unfold.

But instead of simply being pulled out of the spacecraft, Zelda created her own vortex. Calling upon the winds' of Farore, her body rapidly spun. A glowing green light shrouded her.

As she exited the hole and began to descend into a free fall, she saw him. Snake's lifeless body was dropping down to the ground below.

As soon as she spotted him, Zelda completed the spell and disappeared.

She reappeared right above Snake, and was now falling with him. Letting out her breath from needing to hold because of the transportation, she saw Snake with his eyes closed. There wasn't any sign that he had survived the hit he took on his head.

Nevertheless, Zelda simply acted on instinct. Reaching out her arms, she grabbed his body and pulled it ever so slightly towards her chest. Once she felt as though he was close enough, she looked down again.

The ground was approaching, faster and faster. And unfortunately, it was a grove of trees that was seconds away from greeting them.

At first they were green blobs clustered together. Then she could clearer lines of the branches. And as they fell together, ever closer, the outlines of the leaves were made obvious.

It was now only a matter of thousandths of a second before the two would hit the trees.

Zelda took another heavy breath-

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Yep, it was meant to end like that.

Okay, okay. I hope I'm out of my writers block now. Those last few chapters were pretty abysmal, no? It couldn't be helped though. As **Sir NZ** pointed out, they were mostly there to push the plot forward.

But I hope this chapter gets you all back on the action train. And yes, some pretty creepy shit is coming up with this group, you just don't know it. It might seem a little side tracked to the plot, but I will be sure to make a good point about it all.

I thank everyone for their patience and for keeping up with this story. It amazes me that a lot of you are still reading and reviewing. I love you all.

….OH! And…did ya like the sparks between Zelda and Snake…? I've been dying to finally write that. I hope it was plausible as well as intriguing to those who might not be fans of the pairing.


	29. Chapter 29: Link

**Part Two**

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Link**

It hadn't taken as long as everyone expected to reach Arachnida. But when they arrived, it was a long search for a legitimate landing platform, that they eventually gave up and just found the least dusty of places to settle, that were close enough to transit trains that would lead to the metropolitan areas.

Ike was still in his wolf form, and oddly enough, was at the side of Link. In fact, he had been at Link's side the entire way, ever since it was discovered that he was cursed in such a way.

And Link himself understood. At one time in his life, he had been thrown into a journey for his life and for the well being of Planet Hylia, when the world between the light and the dark had crossed. He had become a wolf when he was stuck in the encroaching darkness. But when things had been resolved, and the Twilis' had decided to terraform a planet of their own, Link's beastly form was never seen again.

As everyone was getting off the ship and heading out onto the desert, Link put his hand down onto Ike's forehead.

"You should lead us," Link said, lifting his hand off and pointing towards Ike's nose as he withdrew his arm.

Ike nodded, and ran ahead of everyone. He gave Samus a fright when he hastily passed her.

"I still can't believe that's Ike," she told Link. "You know, if things don't work out, we should probably invest in a sturdy leash."

Link laughed at the bounty hunter's joke.

"Samus," he began as they finally walked out onto the sandy desert. "From the first day I met you during that meeting in the Chozon Prime, I would have never guessed you had such an odd sense of humor."

"Yeah? Well…" she stammered. "Not many people know me past first impressions I guess."

"That's too bad," Link said.

As he quickly glanced at her as they were walking towards a train, he could see her smiling and rolling her eyes from his remark. But even though she tried to turn away and hide her face, Link could tell she was becoming flush.

"Not used to the heat?" Link jested.

"Oh stop it," she joked, putting an arm out and playfully pushing him away.

Up ahead, the two could hear Ike barking at them. They were obviously dropping behind the group, and Captain Falcon was poised in an impatient posture.

Once aboard, Link caught a whiff of the scent of metal. The entire train was made of steel, and all over the place were piles of sand and dirt. The metallic scent was painful to Link's nose in that he despised all things industrial. It reminded him that he missed the grassy plains of Hylia.

. . .

The train ride was about 15 minutes long, but once they reached the nearest city, the sun was beginning to set and it was going to be dark soon.

"We'd better find a place to stay. Who knows how cold it will get out here," Marth remarked.

"I agree," Captain Falcon noted.

"Well, there's got to be an inn or something around here. Just look for people who stand out just as much as we do. They'll be the ones going to an inn as well," Peach told everyone.

Following her advice, they continued to walk in the narrow sand covered streets, checking both architectural hints of a place to stay, and for foreigners coming and going.

It was about that time when the sun was completely set, yet there was still light from a faint glow beyond the horizon that lit up the now graying evening atmosphere. At that time, Link had finally spotted an inn. As someone who constantly traveled by himself, he was familiar with searching for accommodations.

Everyone entered, even Ike, and immediately went to the front desk. The place was rather quiet. Two small hearths at either end were just starting to glow brighter and brighter, having been freshly lit. A few travelers sat at tables, sipping on various drinks. It was still too early for this place to be jamming.

When Captain Falcon, Samus, Marth, Peach, Link, and Ike walked up to the counter, the man at the other end said nothing. Not a real warm greeting.

"We'd like a night's stay for each and every one of us. Whatever space available, we'll take," Marth said.

The man looked sharply at Marth, and then his gaze fell upon Ike.

"What about the beast?" he snorted.

"He's staying with us," Samus remarked.

"Fine. But he'd better be tied up in his room before most of my guests arrive. I don't want any commotion as a result of it."

Link nodded and placed his hand on the top of Ike's head. The white wolf had been sitting at his side as they waited for a verdict. But as soon as Marth was handed a key, they all turned away and looked for a table.

And off in the corner was one with just enough chairs.

"I'll go stop by the bar and order up some food and drinks," Captain Falcon said.

"Good idea," Link stated.

As the Captain proceeded to get a meal or two, Link, Samus, Marth, and Peach sat down. Ike moved in underneath the table and Link could feel him moving around, brushing up against his legs.

Wondering what was going on, he tilted his head to get a better view. And right underneath the table was Ike, carefully sniffing every inch of the wooden floor, just like one would expect a dog to do.

Link merely chuckled and remembered how much he himself had behaved like an animal when he entered the Twilight, even though his spirit was human.

"Alright, I've got the local food and drinks," Captain Falcon said, walking back to everyone.

"And that means…?" Samus wondered aloud.

"Well, some beer, and breads, fruits, and meats. Mind you, everything is dried, because this entire planet is, and that seems to be the running theme on the menu. If you don't like it, here's some water," Falcon said, perturbed that someone would dare be picky.

"Nah, I'll take the beer. If you travel as much as I have, you quickly learn to pass up on the water," she explained.

"Oh?" Peach remarked, looking inquisitively at the water pitcher Falcon brought. "I don't much like beer, but if you believe the safety of the water is compromised, I'll surely pass it up."

Samus just nodded her head as she took a drink of the beer.

Link reached out across the table and grabbed some dried meat. Putting it in his mouth, his teeth barely were able to tear into the sinewy muscle. Its taste made his mouth water, but the texture seemed barely digestible. As he worked on one piece, with another in his hand, he felt Ike moving against his legs again, but more strongly. Looking down, the wolf's face met his eyes.

Ike's tongue was hanging out, and he had a goofy grin that many dogs get when they open their mouths. His ears were pointed directly at Link, and his tail was swishing back and forth.

Link quickly realized that Ike wanted a piece. As a wolf, with a sense of smell that seemed one hundred times more intense than humans, he could sympathize with why the mercenary wanted the piece so badly.

Link's hand flinched towards the wolf, but Ike reacted faster. With a slight lunge forward and up, he snatched up the piece of meat and quickly retreated to beneath the table.

"Link! Not at the table! You'll teach him bad lessons," Samus joked.

As soon as she had said that, she let out a yelp, and she quickly twitched.

"Even as a wolf, he can still understand your language," Link reminded the bounty hunter.

"Sheesh, yeah," she said, reaching down and rubbing her leg.

The six of them continued to enjoy their time at the table, eating, drinking, and laughing it up. The start of their journey had been particularly rough and somber. With the collapse of the League, the death of Rauru, and the true, organized beginning of their tense struggle against Wolf and Ganondorf, it was unusual for any of them to act so giddy and humorous. Of course, the beer helped loosen the tongues, but their true jovial natures were finally coming through.

"Hey guys, look….uhhh…it's getting pretty late!" a rather drunk Prince Marth boisterously alerted everyone.

"Yeah," Peach, who had actually been able to hold her alcohol better than anyone else had (surprisingly) began. "Plus, this place is getting more crowded."

"Sure it is! The party's just started!" Falcon exclaimed.

"Okay…yeah. Time for bed…" Peach grumbled standing up.

And when she motioned that, everyone followed. Link gave himself a big stretch, realizing that he had been sitting for about an hour and a half on a wooden chair.

They all wandered upstairs to their designated room. Opening the door, Marth was the first to walk in. As Link and the others followed, they realized how lucky they were to have found this place.

Two bunk beds lined each end of the walls, and in between was a small window that was high enough to capture a solid glow coming in from the planet's nearest satellite. But, there were only four beds to be split between the six of them.

"The wolf gets the floor," Samus was the first to speak as everyone was still working it all out in their minds.

"Yeah but," Link started. "What about the five of us?"

"Samus and I can share a bed. After all, it's commonly accepted across the galaxy for two women to share a bed rather than two men," she said, with a slight tone of irritation, just wanted to find a comfortable place to rest and sleep off her dizzy drunken stupor.

"Sure," Samus responded.

Peach climbed onto the top bunk, and Samus followed. Marth took the one beneath them, and Falcon climbed to the top of the other bunk. Link sat down on the bed below, and Ike quickly jumped onto it and curled up.

"Fine, whatever," Link said to him, as the white wolf gave him a sharp glance.

It hadn't taken him long to drift off to sleep, after all, a belly full of meat and beer weighed heavy within him. His mind had finally crossed over into the dream world. But, as usual, it wouldn't be a settling night.

Something strange and loud had awoken him in the night. Getting out of bed, he lifted himself up without stirring Ike. He had thought the loud sound had come from outside of the door, but he wasn't sure.

Link quickly checked the window. Nothing was below save for a narrow alleyway. So he turned towards the hallway and exited the room. And then he heard it again. A loud and quick "bang!"

"A gunshot!" he realized.

Walking down the hall towards the staircase that led to the main room downstairs were the dining hall, bar, and lobby were, Link saw it.

Blood, everywhere.

"What?" he cried to himself. His hand covered his mouth as he grimaced. Who could have been the culprit?

Slowing walking down each step, he made sure that his boots wouldn't press too heavily and cause any sound.

The further he reached the bottom floor, the more he saw of the ghastly scene.

Bodies everywhere.

Bodies of patrons he had seen in the dining hall earlier. They all had at least four bullet wounds in their chests and heads. Some were slumped over, others had been thrown backwards onto the floor, some were laying against he walls. And as Link's view became more expansive, he saw the worst of it. Several people had been shot, who had been standing near the fireplaces. Their bodies had fallen into the flames upon impact, and were now caught on fire, burning.

The scent of their flesh made him gag. Link grabbed his stomach and retched, bending over and nearly falling to his knees.

It had taken him a while to gather himself. Lifting his head up, he saw a strange man dressed entirely in black. He had a black trenchcoat on, open at his chest. His arms were crossed and his fingers covered in black gloves were tapping impatiently. The man had long blond hair and features that reminded Link of someone.

"Snake?" he grumbled. No, it couldn't be. This man was blonde and wore an expression that the real Snake would never have.

A strange and mischievous smirk that sent a chill down Link's spine. The man finally stopped standing there and moved forward. He pulled out an uzi and aimed it at Link.

"_He_ may have let you get away, but I won't!" the man cried, with an odd accent.

The blond man then began to open fire.

"No!" Link yelled, spinning upwards to his feet and turning away. But as he did, something stopped him in his tracks, blocking him from running.

"I've found you!" cried the shrill voice of a man. He was hovering above the ground, with a gas mask over his face. He was wearing black as well, with long vinyl gloves extending above his elbows.

"Who are you!!" Link unknowingly shouted.

"Link?" the man with the gas mask said, inquisitively, slowly lowering himself to the ground. The voice was feminine, and sounded an awful lot like Samus's.

"Link?" the man said again.

Now the Hylian knew for sure it was Samus's voice.

"What?" he cried. "Who are you?"

"Link?! It's me, Samus!"

"No," he began. "That can't be!"

Link slowly began to feel his sanity draining from him. After seeing the bloodshed in the room, a man who too closely resembled Snake, and now a strange person floating in the air, sounding like Samus, he couldn't help but feel like he had gone nuts.

"Link! Wake up! It's a dream!" the man said again.

"WHAT??" Link shouted.

"Shhh!" Samus said to him, covering his mouth. It was now the familiar form of the true Samus, bending over him.

"Samus!!" Link whispered in exasperation. He reactively cupped her cheek with his hand, trying to feel if it was truly her.

She immediately pulled away and blushed heavily.

"Sorry," he began. "I just….had a nightmare."

"I-I could tell," she stammered. "You woke me up, but luckily everyone else is fast asleep. Well, actually to be honest, I just couldn't sleep myself."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yeah," she turned away from him, still sitting on his bed.

"So, bad dream?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," he pulled himself up from a lying position, and scooted over beside him. He rested one hand on his leg and rubbed his face with the other. As he did, he felt her touch him.

Looking down, he saw her hand holding the one he had rested.

"There's…scars all over your arm," she said, worryingly. "They…look new."

"Oh…yeah," Link remarked, his voice sounding tired.

"What happened?" Samus asked.

"Phendrana Drifts," Link replied.

When he said that, he turned his face towards Samus. Looking back at him was an expression of deep guilt. As if she had somehow caused the scarring on his arms. Link's stomach dropped as he saw her look so incredibly upset and sad.

"Samus, what's wrong?"

"Link…I should never have let you go before the assembly at the League and turn over that evidence that you had received on Tallon IV. I should have known it was a trap! And to see what has happened, it's just that I-"

But before she could finish, Link used the arm that she was holding onto, to in turn grab hers. As he did, he pulled her towards him, and he moved in closer. He pulled her in towards his chest. Her other arm fell forward and her palm rested against his chest.

He had assumed that she would pull away and get angry, but he was pleasantly surprised to see her allow this. And not only that, but she moved in closer, allowing him to drape another arm around her.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered, completely resting her head against him.

Link said nothing but brushed his hand against her back. He couldn't think of anything to say. The moment felt so unexpected, even though he had instigated it.

After the terrible nightmare he had just experienced, he now felt totally at ease. There was certainly something about Samus that he felt a growing attraction to. Her odd sense of humor, her free-like nature, and of course, her bodily curves completed the picture. He hadn't really given it much serious thought, but he began to have intense feelings for her. One's that were finally coming to the surface in this moment.

_BANG!_

The two of them flinched and broke their hold on each other.

"What was that!" Samus cried out, jumping to her feet and pulling out her paralyzer. With the way she was acting, you couldn't tell that was previously engaged in a moment of romance.

"Shit…" Link grumbled, readying his sword as he stood.

"If that's what I think that is…then there should be another…" he said aloud.

Captain Falcon, Peach, Marth, and Ike were now lazily waking up.

"What do you mean?" Samus asked.

"Shh!" Link motioned for her to be quiet.

As everyone else was waking up, Samus and Link froze, standing in silence. They were looking at each other. Samus was confused and somewhat alarmed, and Link had a fierce gaze of determination.

And then he heard it again, giving Link a chilling feeling of déjà vu.

_BANG!_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note: **Uhhh…high percentage of alcohol in beer, and several servings for everyone caused the buzz/slight drunkenness. Or else everyone is playing it up, as people often do. XD

And in case you didn't get it, because I'm not that great at explaining things in the story, That dream Link had was foreshadowing to the real event, but it was also supposed to be symbolic in that Psycho Mantis had found Link. As if he had used some mind trick to lure him out in the open, but in a metaphysical sense.

I apologize for all the spelling errors and shit. I haven't been proofreading lately, from start to finish, because it takes about 3+ hours to write, and so…you know. I get sick of staring at the screen….like right now……….

And it doesn't help to hear John Wayne in the background on the TV. Something about his voice and movies are detrimental to all sorts of creativity. Sorry fans.

Oh, and…

Linkus.


	30. Chapter 30: Master Chief

**Part Two**

**Chapter Thirty: Master Chief**

"Turn around!" Pit cried out. "Turn around!!"

"We can't do that!" Falco yelled back. "This Wolfen is still on our tail and we can't shake it!"

"But we've lost them!! We've lost them!" Pit's voice seemed frantic and hoarse.

"What are you talking about?" Fox stammered.

"Zelda! Snake!" Pit cried. "They're gone!"

"What?" Master Chief, who was usually calm as ever, finally broke out, asking in exclamation. He knew that there had been a hole in the back of the ship, but he had no idea it was large enough to suck someone out.

"Shut the cabin door," the Spartan told Falco. They were still feeling the suction of air from the hole, and he needed Pit to calm down.

"What exactly happened?" he asked the angel, though he already could guess.

"We had taken two strong hits, and the second one ruptured a hole in the passenger bay main door. A strong force was pulling the two out, and Zelda managed to grab on to something, but Snake fated worse. He didn't grab a stable enough object and was whipped around all over, until he lost consciousness and was sucked out. Then…Zelda let go and followed. I don't know why she did that!" Pit's eyes grew wide in shock as he recounted it all.

"If she let go, I'm sure she had a good reason why," thought Master Chief knew he was lying. It was common sense that she would not survive a fall from the ship. "We have to trust in that. Right now, you need to calm down so the others can maneuver us into safety. We'll make a landfall in time to search for them, alright?"

Pit hesitated and just stared back at Master Chief. "Umm…oh-okay." His head began to hang to the side and seemed as though there was a pain in his neck.

Master Chief turned away from the young man to check up on Fox and Falco who were still piloting the Pelican.

"Lose the Wolfen or we'll end up as Zelda and Snake have. Our shields are near to nothing, and the passenger compartment is going to compromise this entire ship if we continue to fly around with a hole in it," he ordered the two.

"Well, we could drop in elevation. There's a forest coming up in the distance. If I can trick the Wolfen into doing the same I'll maneuver us in time to so that he won't have time to react so quickly and will hopefully crash," Falco suggested.

"That's fine with me, but if we can't pull up in time, we'll all end up dead," Fox noted.

"Do it," Master Chief said, interrupting the two.

They had little time to discuss the pros and cons of this idea, as the forest was fast approaching. So he decided to just go for it.

"Alright, descending down to 600 feet," Falco announced.

As the ship began to lower, they realized the sheer extreme height of the trees on the planet. When they finally reached 600 feet above the ground and were heading straight towards the trees, they could see that some were still taller than even their altidude.

"Okay, we'll need to pull up in about five seconds, Falco. I've overridden all automatic and autopilots countermeasures, so we'll have to do this together manually. Start counting…5…4…" Fox started, and Falco immediately joined in.

Master Chief decided at that moment to get strapped in. He motioned to Pit to do the same.

"3…2…"

As the two were about to say "one" and ascend, there was a heavy jolt, and the ship steered off the straight course.

"We've been hit?" Pit questioned aloud, as the trees came ever closer to them.

"No! The passenger bay is breaking apart shifting our aerodynamics! We can't-" Fox cried out.

But before he could finish, the Pelican was flying through the forest at 700 mph, veering to the side. It clipped one tree, causing them to spin violently backwards, like a Frisbee in the air. As it spun around and around, it finally slammed into another tree. The entire ship exploded into two separate pieces.

The last thing Master Chief saw in his visor was the onrush of orange and red flames. And just before the darkness, he felt the heat.

- - -

"Please wake up! I need you to open your eyes…!" a voice pleaded with him.

Roo_oooooo…ao..ao..ao..ao_

"What the…" the Chief thought to himself. There was a strange sound off in the distance. It was deep and bellowing in its tone.

_Roooooooo…ao…ao…ao..ao_

"Open your eyes! I'm gonna get you out of here but if you don't cooperate, I can't help!" the voice, now the familiar sound of Pit's, rang out.

"What is that…" he grumbled, finally opening his eyes. Master Chief could see that his visor had been shattered completely on one side, exposing half of his face.

"Oh good, you're alive," Pit said, hovering in front of him.

The Spartan looked all around him, and there was nothing but darkness. He was hanging forward in his seat that was in the cockpit…or so her had thought. Instead, there nothing but the night air. The cockpit had been torn in two and the half that he was in appeared to be caught in a tree.

Finally grasping the situation, he began to struggle and panic. The Pelican had been completely torn apart, and Cortana was still apart of the main program of its computer. As far as he knew, the computer had been destroyed, and along with it, Cortana.

"Stop moving around so much! You might tip this thing over and fall to your death!" Pit warned him.

The Spartan caught himself and immediately stopped. It was a short moment where he nearly lost it, but the man had been trained to overcome all obstacles and situations. Now was no different.

He froze in place, and stared at Pit. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could the angel more clearly. And it didn't look good. The short man was completely covered in dark ash. Blood trickled down the side of his face and all over his arms. And from the right side of his cheek, all the way down to his shoulder was what appeared to be a serious burn.

"Where…are…the…others…" Master Chief strained to speak.

"Down below, on the ground," Pit said. "They are in better condition than us, but I'm afraid that the ship is completely destroyed."

"No…we need the mainframe…" he stammered.

"What was that? I'm sorry, I can't hear you…" Pit sighed, leaning in closer.

"Get me down from here…now…" he said.

"Alright," the angel began. "Hold onto my arm while I unhinge the seatbelt."

As he did, Master Chief fell forward. Pit was able to grab him in time, and the two awkwardly flew to the bottom of the forest. As they got closer, they could see little fires speckled all across the ground.

"There they are," a voice form below called out.

When they finally touched down, Master Chief fell forward. He was weak and shaky, still coming down from the adrenaline flow during the crash. Fox and Falco walked up to him, both in relatively good condition.

"I managed to salvage some of the electronics, and a certain someone has a few select words to share with you," Fox said, handing Master Chief a disc.

He inserted it into his right arm, and pressed a button. The holographic image of Cortana appeared.

"Chief, it's good to see you in one piece…" her voice and image cut out in static, but eventually reappeared. "But I can't say the same about myself…"

She disappeared again. "We'll fix this later…right now…there is a…problem…" But before she could explain herself, she vanished again completely.

"My suits been damaged. Her program has been compromised too. I'll need some time to fix this before we can make plans about getting out of here," he told everyone.

"I'm not so sure we have time, Chief," Falco said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah. We've all got injuries that need some serious attention-" Fox began.

"Well, that's not what I meant," Falco interrupted.

Everyone turned to him.

_Roooo….ao..ao..ao…ao_

"Oh…that…" Fox muttered.

"What is that?" Master Chief, who had heard it twice before, wondered.

"Before the entire computer in the cockpit completely malfunctioned, we managed to get a brief message from Cortana. She asked us to be removed from the hard drive before the inevitable, but she also warned us about something she was picking up on the radar. Apparently, lifeforms in the hundreds were detected in this area," Falco explained.

"So…what's the problem in that?" Pit asked, hunched over and inspecting his wounds.

Falco took a deep breath and sighed. "We've unintentionally landed on Planet Vorenth."

Master Chief noted as Pit immediately snapped his head towards Falco.

"What?!" the angel exclaimed.

_Roooooo…ao…ao..ao..ao_

The howls continued again. They seemed to echo from all over now, instead of what seemed to be one location.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Author's Note:** Ahehe, you don't know what they're all fretting about. Soon though. Soon.

Chapters may be shorter for a while. I'm condensing this story because I really want to finish it. It most likely has another 16 chapters left.

And uhh..sorry for those strange sounds these "lifeforms" are making. I couldn't think up anything else. They're supposed to sound like a mixture of a lion rumbling, a wolf howling, and a human screaming. But there was no way I could figure out how to explain that in letters. XD


End file.
